Elsa's Story
by maripaz6
Summary: When Elsa freezes Anna, their distraught parents rush to the Trolls for help; however, the Trolls cannot help Anna. But they know of someone who can: the witch of the bathhouse, Yubaba. Elsa grows up in the bathhouse, and everything is different. Dedicated to madamasharpless24601. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen._

 _Author's Note: First paragraph is in the "present". The rest of this fic is in the "past"._

…..

Elsa took a delicate sip of her tea, her hands trembling, then replied mournfully, "It all began when I had just turned eight and my sister Anna was five. I accidentally blasted her in the heart with my Elemental powers, and her condition was critical." She gave a self-conscious laugh. "It was the worst birthday gift ever. Anyways, Mother, Father and I took Anna away to get help, but..…."

….

"I cannot save your daughter," Grand Pabbie said mournfully, bowing deeply to the King and Queen of Arendelle. "I am sorry, your highnesses. I am not powerful enough."

Elsa's father gazed at his child, stiff and pale in his arms, and then stared at the troll with determination in his eyes. "Then send me to someone who can."

There was a pause in which Elsa was certain that she had killed her younger sister. Killed sweet little Anna who had done nothing wrong, condemned her to lie forever beneath the cold, hard earth. _Grand Pabbie can't save Anna,_ she thought hysterically, _and he can't name anyone else who could_. Anna was going to die. Elsa gave a gasping sob and clung to her mother's skirts tightly, afraid she had lost her little sister forever.

However, her fears were allayed by the troll's next words — "I know of one. Yubaba, the witch of the bathhouse."

Immediately the gathering of trolls gasped, shocked. It was apparent that they all knew of this Yubaba, even if the Royal Family had not. The clearing buzzed with their hushed discussions.

Grand Pabbie continued relentlessly, ignoring the whispers. "This is only if you are truly desperate, Your Highness. Yubaba is dangerous, powerful, and notorious for exacting a harsh price. I ask you again — do you still want to do this?"

Elsa's father caressed Anna's icy-cold cheek. "I am sure. I will save my daughter."

"Understood," Grand Pabbie said seriously. "Then this is what you will need to do."

The ensuing discussion was beyond Elsa, sitting quietly in her mother's lap. Both of her parents were talking with Grand Pabbie. She caught snatches of their conversation — Yubaba, bathhouse, spirits, Anna, power — but she didn't understand any of it. Time flew by as she dozed off, only rousing when her mother gently shook her.

"Elsa," she whispered, "time to get up. Come now, we must be going. Anna needs our help." Elsa stood up blearily, sleepily accepting the trinket her mother pressed into her hand. It was a wooden hand-carved owl with wise eyes which seemed to on the verge of flapping away. "Put it on, Elsa," her mother urged. "The trolls made it, and Grand Pabbie says it shall keep you safe." Turning it over in her hands, Elsa spotted a silver chain as thin as a single strand of hair. She carefully pulled it over her head and, though the owl came to rest over her heart, she felt no different.

Her father scrutinized her once, making sure she was ready. He then gave a single nod to Grand Pabbie. "Begin," he commanded, still cradling Anna's stiff body.

…..

As soon as Elsa's father gave permission, Grand Pabbie began cavorting around shouting nonsensical words. The other trolls, forming a circle around the Royal Family, began chanting as well and skipping counter-clockwise in a way that reminded Elsa of the many games of Ring-Around-the-Rosie she and Anna had played together.

As the singing and dancing reached its climax, a doorway appeared before the Royal Family. Peering through, Elsa spotted a bridge, a bathhouse and all manner of strange creatures. "Step inside!" Grand Pabbie shouted. "The Gate shall not last long — step inside! And remember, your talismans shall keep you safe — do not take them off!" Elsa's father stepped forward urgently, her mother and herself stumbling after him. As Elsa plunged through the Gate, she felt a multitude of emotions: pain, fear, happiness, sorrow, and love so strong it broke her heart. Love, she realized, for her sister Anna lying broken in her father's arms. There was no love for Elsa, only fear, but she didn't let it bother her. She wasn't the one injured, she told herself.

When the Royal Family arrived on the other side of the Gate, they were met with the stares of strange creatures whispering, "Humans. Humans. Humans here," in low voices. With a shiver, Elsa realized that she was in the Spirit World. So as her father strode off toward the bathhouse, she ran along behind him, her tiny legs blurring as she strained to keep up. Anna was her sister and the Spirit World was creepy. She would not be left behind.

…..

Though Elsa didn't know it, her parents were following the troll's instructions exactly. When they reached the bathhouse doors and the greeter simply dismissed them because they were 'filthy humans', her father insisted that they be allowed in. "We must speak to Yubaba," he said imperiously. "We have a business proposition for her, involving copious amounts of gold."

"And, if you help us," her mother chimed in, "we'll be sure to reward you handsomely." She covertly placed a few gold pieces into the greeter's hands. "So, will you let us in?"

The greeter smirked. "Of course," he said with an oily voice. "Simply tell the front desk that Rhood sent you, and that you have an appointment with Yubaba. Enjoy your stay."

…...

Later, standing before the witch Yubaba's ornate desk, Elsa knew she wasn't going to enjoy her stay, however brief. Already fear coiled in her stomach like a heavy snake, making her listless. To make matters worse, the witch was examining Anna avidly. Elsa wanted to run up and throw herself between Yubaba and her dear sister, but she couldn't find the energy.

Suddenly, the witch waved fingers laden with gaudy rings over Anna's prone body and called her parents over. Afraid of being left alone, Elsa ran after them, hiding behind her mother's skirts with only her small head peering around to watch Yubaba like a hawk. "Your daughter has been injured by one with much power." Yubaba began. "I can heal her, but it shall be quite expensive. As for now, she is in stasis while we negotiate. What will you offer me, human?"

Elsa's father gulped. "We offer you our gold."

Yubaba snorted contemptuously. "Your gold is worthless. It will not compensate me for the amount of energy I shall have to expend to heal your daughter. So I repeat, what will you offer me, human?"

With a pained expression on her face, her mother whispered, "we offer our kingdom."

"Worthless again," Yubaba scoffed. "Human land is useless to me. I have neither need nor wish for it." She scowled, irritated. "What do you offer, human? And make it something of use. I am a busy spirit."

Looking beaten and hopeless, her father said, "I offer my life. My life as your slave."

The proclamation shocked Elsa. Her father, giving up his life so that Anna might live? With a cry she ran to her father and pulled him close. It was her fault Anna was dying; it was her fault that her father was going to give up his life to remedy her mistake. She whispered in his ear, "Let me stay here. It's my fault. "

With surprisingly good hearing, Yubaba, eyes wide with shock, turned her gaze on Elsa , "What?" the witch shrieked. "You, child, did this? You froze your sister?"

"Yes," Elsa admitted mournfully. "I did this."

"An Elemental," the witch murmured. Immediately she turned to Elsa's parents, a conniving, greedy glint in her eye. "Give me Elsa as my apprentice and I shall heal your daughter. Otherwise, you condemn Anna to death."

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 _Special thanks to madamasharpless24601 for inspiring me. I would never have thought of a Spirited Away and Frozen crossover before I read his/her story._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen, no matter how many times I (badly) sing their music._

Yubaba's last words — "Give me Elsa as my apprentice and I shall heal your daughter. Otherwise, you condemn Anna to an early death." — hung suspended in the air. Terrible, heart-rending words which forced Elsa's parents to decide: which daughter to save? And which to sacrifice?

Her parents fell into a hasty conference among themselves. For one horrible moment, Elsa was certain they would hand her over to Yubaba in order to save their only normal daughter. Shivers racked her body, and she felt the icy grip of fear. Who would want her more than five year old Anna? Undeserving Anna, who lay stiff as a board and pale as freshly fallen snow on the witch-woman's cluttered desk.

Elsa's father turned to Yubaba, refusing to meet his daughter's eyes. "It is her decision," he hedged, glancing warily at Yubaba and Elsa.

Yubaba simply cackled. "You think," she laughed, "that your daughter will want to stay in the human world? Especially if it means killing her sister?" She fixed her gaze on Elsa, looking into her pale blue eyes. "Child, you cannot — will not — be able to control your powers. This is just the beginning. Within ten years you shall be a threat to your family, to your kingdom. But I can teach you. I can teach you control, child."

Elsa stood there, silent tears running down her face. She was dangerous; she was a threat to everyone she came in contact with. Even her parents didn't want her. And against her will, she was fascinated by the witch-woman's offer. "Really?" she quavered. "You could really teach me?"

"Of course," Yubaba said silkily. "Sign here" — she gestured and a paper flew before Elsa, accompanied by a pen — "and I will apprentice you, heal your sister, and return your family to the human world."

Elsa could see the hope in her parents' eyes. Hope that she'd sign and save their only normal daughter. They were afraid what she would become and wanted no part in her life. It sickened Elsa. Moving quickly, she snatched the pen floating in the air before her and signed, grateful her name was short and simple.

Afterwards she glanced at her parents, hoping to see regret on their faces. But instead relief showed plainly in their eyes — driving the knife in her heart deeper still — and they were so ashamed that they refused to meet her gaze.

Elsa turned away. They weren't her parents anymore.

…..

Once Elsa had finished signing, Yubaba muttered a hurried incantation above Anna. The life returned to her cheeks; her muscles relaxed; a single lock of her auburn hair changed to match the silver color of Elsa's. The witch gazed at Anna, then nodded approvingly. The human child was healthy again, though still unconscious. Her side of the bargain was complete.

Yubaba snapped her fingers and Elsa flew to her side as the Gate opened before the remainder of Royal Family. "Goodbye," Elsa said sadly, while her family left without once looking back, her father still carrying Anna's limp form in his arms. "Tell Anna that I did this for her. She shouldn't have to pay for my mistakes."

However, the Gate closed with a _pop!_ as she finished her farewell, leaving no time for her family to answer her.

With the Royal Family gone, the witch turned toward Elsa, a speculative, covetous gleam in her eye. She waved her jewel-encrusted hand, and the contract Elsa had signed flew toward her. "Elsa," she murmured. "Such a pretty name. It's mine now." Before Elsa's eyes, the letters of her name rose off the paper and into Yubaba's clenched fist. "Your new name is Ís. Answer me, Ís!"

Immediately Elsa jerked to attention. "Yes ma'am?"

"What is your name?"

"My name is Ís," Ís answered, puzzled as to why the witch would need to ask her.

"Good," Yubaba cooed. "Now, Ís dear, your rooms will be shown to you by this Byakko, Lin." As if the witch's words had caused her to appear, a female spirit, dressed in the bathhouse's dark pink, walked from the gloom in the back of the study. "She is your servant and will familiarize you with bathhouse, where you shall be staying for the next six years. And remember, if you need anything, use this bell to call her." Yubaba pressed an ornate, heavily stylized golden bell into Ís' hands. She then turned to Lin commanded, "Take Ís away and wash her. She smells of human."

Lin bowed low to Yubaba, then beckoned imperiously at Ís. Together the two of them walked toward Ís' room, Lin leading the way.

When Ís arrived at her room, she was surprised at the luxuries she was provided. It was a floor below Yubaba's and was small yet cozy. The thin, translucent rice-paper walls kept the space dimly lit, and there were many small candles in sconces around the room. On the floor lay a deep blue futon, covered with white linen sheets and pillows. And sitting in the corner was a simple desk of light brown wood.

Rubbing her hand along the fabric, Ís sighed; its quality surpassed even the Royal Palace. A frown came to her face as she thought of her home and of her family. However, she banished the thought and moved to open the doors, which she could tell led to a private balcony. Stepping out, she discovered that it afforded a breath-taking view of the land around the bathhouse. As if in a trance Ís walked out to the railing, gazing at the splendor.

Lin followed her. There was silence as the spirit woman stared off into the distance; as a servant, Lin had never before seen the landscape from so high a vantage point. But she quickly regained her senses and bowed, sharp and shallow, to Ís.

"My Lady Ís," she began, her tone clipped and angry and her manner business-like. "Welcome to Yubaba's bathhouse, where spirits come to rejuvenate and replenish themselves. If you are in need of anything simply ring the golden bell. I will attend to you shortly thereafter." She paused to scan the room once again, then strode triumphantly toward a small sliding door which had been previously overlooked. Pulling it open, Lin revealed a small tub. "I shall help you with your bath as Yubaba insisted. Then I must go attend to the customers. Some of us have actual jobs."

Ís almost winced at the spirit's hostile tone, but caught herself just in time. _Conceal, don't feel,_ she chanted silently to herself — it had been the phrase she'd used against nosy servants and courtiers. _Put on a show._

She could tell that here in the Spirit World the weak and helpless were eaten, if only metaphorically. And she was strong. Bracing herself, she answered shortly, "You needn't help. I am perfectly capable of washing myself."

"No." Lin's flat refusal shocked Ís: generally when she used her 'princess tone' the servants obeyed without question. "Yubaba ordered me to wash you. I do not disobey Yubaba, even if it means disobeying you. Now," she said testily, "undress, or will I have to assist you?"

Ís undressed quickly, though she left her owl pendant around her neck, remembering Grand Pabbie's insistence that she never remove it. She then stepped into the small tub of warm water and snapped, trying to hide her discomfort, "Well? Wash me!"

For all of Lin's irritating habits, though, the spirit was an expert bathhouse attendant. She lathered Ís' entire body with fine soaps and washed her hair with such care that Ís actually felt herself beginning to relax under her ministrations. But that was unacceptable. _Conceal, don't feel._ Ís knew she couldn't afford for any spirit to see her as a weak human waiting to be exploited. Lin was sharp-tongued and cruel, her only redeeming characteristic being that she did not remark on the charm. In fact, spirit woman never even touched the wooden owl; it was as if she couldn't see it.

When the bath ended, Ís began to towel herself off, but was met by the spirit-woman's indignant stare. Lin then proceeded to snatch the embroidered towel from Ís' hands and give her a brisk rubbing down which sharply contrasted with her previously delicate care.

Afterwards, as Ís stood there stupidly, Lin gestured impatiently towards the clothing folded on the floor. Comprehension dawned in Ís' eyes, and she hurried forward to pull on the clothes. It looked like a standard bathhouse uniform, but the color was a periwinkle blue in place of the dark pink. Also, a thin, snowflake-patterned headband was included, presumably to hold back Ís hair.

Once Ís was dressed, Lin bowed again and said tersely, "I must attend to my other customers. Sleep." The words unnerved Ís, for Lin had not spoken for the past half-hour. So Ís did nothing more than nod as Lin turned and left the room, almost slamming the door behind her.

With Lin gone, Ís dropped her mask of indifference. She padded toward the futon and dropped on it, spent. The day had been taxing; she simply wanted awaken from this horrible dream back in her safe bed. However, Ís was fairly certain it wasn't a nightmare — she would never return home to Arendelle.

Suddenly, the full significance of the situation hit her, and she let out great racking sobs.

That night Ís cried herself to sleep.

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 _Hello again! Thanks madamasharpless24601  
and Love Crossovers for the reviews _— _you guys are amazing!_

 _And Elsa's new name is not mine. (Sadly, I have never been that creative.) Thank you, madamasharpless24601, for Ís! And be sure to check out her Spirited Away and Frozen crossover, Ískristallar._

 _Hope you enjoyed the chapter (and will tell me just how much) ^ ^_

 _maripaz6_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

 _Special thanks to Guest_ _ **Love Elsa a lot**_ _for the veritable flood of reviews which helped me stay focused on getting this chapter out. It was a brutal amount of editing. :)_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen._

… _.._

Ís woke exhausted the next morning to Lin entering her room. When she noticed the girl's eyes were open, the spirit woman stated, "You're finally up." She placed a steaming tray of food on Ís' desk and informed her, "Yubaba says that you are not to leave your room or even attempt to escape. I'll be back tonight to wash you again." The spirit woman yawned. "I need to get to bed," she muttered sleepily. "Do you have any questions?"

Ís shook her head. "No," she replied. Intending to bow to Lin, Ís tried to stand up, but her blankets were too tangled. After a fight with her bedding — which Ís lost, only succeeding in making her sheets more chaotic — she gave up and said from the futon, "Thank you, Lin. Sweet dreams."

Lin gave her an almost-smile, stopping once she realized what she was doing, an aghast look on her face. As the spirit woman left, Ís could hear her muttering to herself, "Humans. You hate humans."

The door shut behind Lin, and Ís gazed wistfully at her tray of food; she couldn't wait to eat. At the thought, her stomach rumbled in agreement. She struggled against her sheets until finally, after what felt like an eternity, she was able to pick her way out of the blankets. Free at last, Ís walked to the desk, looked at the rice cakes and, after a moment of consideration, picked one up with her fingers. To live in the Spirit World she would need to eat their food. She hesitantly took a bite.

But after the first mouthful, Is realized it was unlike anything she had ever had before. Rice hadn't been served often in the Royal Palace and, on those rare occasions, it had been a bland mush, only meant to complement the hunks of meat on the table. However, these rice cakes were soft yet chewy, fluffy as the clouds, and had their own delicate flavour. Ís devoured the four before her in quick succession.

Her plate empty and her stomach full, she lay back down on her futon, still licking her fingers. Her dreams had been chaotic, pained and angry — though she'd slept long and hard, she was still tired. With a yawn, Ís slipped once again into a deep slumber.

She passed two days in such a fashion: eating and sleeping, all the while alone in her room. But on the third day, when the sun rose onto an eerily silent bathhouse, its halls no longer filled with bathhouse attendants, Ís decided It was time to go exploring. She knew every nook and cranny of her quarters; she was sick of her room, which each second bore a closer resemblance to a prison cell. Lin may have been religious about coming each evening and helping 'scrub away the human smell', but Ís craved more contact than the irritable spirit woman could provide.

Eyes agleam, Ís faced the door to her room. She hesitantly pushed against it and, to her surprise, it opened to her touch. Someone had neglected to lock it. Ís padded through the halls, peering into the different rooms. When she spotted an elevator, she ran to it, stepped in and, after staring at its interior, decided to pull the lever on the left. Immediately the elevator dropped, causing Ís' heart to jump into her throat. She fell to her knees, praying to gods she had never before believed in that she wouldn't be killed. And instead of being dashed against the ground, Ís came to a slow stop. She stepped warily out of the elevator and grinned. She was alive! Then she ran forward and leant over the nearby railing, gazing down in wonder at the bathhouse.

Below her were hundreds of tubs, dark and empty, laid out in neat mathematical rows and separated by thin bamboo walls meant to provide a semblance of privacy. Ís was intrigued. She wanted to get closer to those tubs which, if Lin was anything to go by, were used by the spirits to 'rejuvenate and replenish themselves'. Hurrying back to the elevator, Ís pulled the lever again and again with childish delight; when the elevator reached the correct floor, she would dart out.

However, the fourth time the elevator doors opened, Ís was spotted by a couple of exhausted spirits. They were in what appeared to be a kitchen, surrounded by greasy dishes and sudsy water. "Look!" one of them exclaimed, his fishy eyes wide with excitement. "Who's that?"

Ís tensed, waiting for the inevitable declaration that she was a human. After all, if Lin had been able to smell her from two floors down, why couldn't these spirits smell her now? She was only a few feet away. But to her surprise the second only said, "I don't know and I don't care." He yawned loudly. "Let's just finish these dishes and go to bed, okay? She's wearing a uniform like us — perhaps she's also got a job."

Not believing her luck, Ís realized that continuing to stand in the elevator would be suspicious. So she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and prepared to bluff her way past the two bathhouse workers. "Hello," she said, with confidence she did not feel. "I'm Ís. I've an errand for Lin. So if you'll excuse me, I must be going now." She bowed shallowly, imitating Lin's sharp mannerisms, and hurried through the kitchen.

But as she brushed past them, the first, who reminded Ís of a fish, grabbed her arm. His fingers were like vises of steel and he rumbled, "No. Lin doesn't have an assistant. You don't belong here; I will be taking you to Yubaba." Her mind raced, and though she tried to extricate herself from his grasp, he was too strong. She was helpless; the witch would skin her alive if she killed one of her employees. And, after Anna, Ís knew of her own lack control. She struggled to escape, but her wriggling only made his nails dig deeper into her skin.

"Wait, Hekiano, you've got to help me finish the dishes!" his partner protested.

However, fish-face ignored him and continued to drag Ís to the elevator. He kept her at his side the entire way up. Even when they changed from the public elevator to Yubaba's private one, there was no chance for Ís to escape.

As the kitchen worker knocked on the door with the golden rapper, Ís winced. She was sure it would recognize her, which it did. "Child!" the knocker screeched with Yubaba's voice. "How dare you disobey me!" Then it turned to the fish spirit. "Hekiano, my thanks for bringing her to me. You are dismissed."

Bowing, Hekiano backed away from Yubaba's door and left Ís alone with the knocker. "Well?" it snapped impatiently. The door swung open. "Come in." Ís bowed to the knocker and began the nerve-wracking walk to Yubaba's study.

When she arrived, she found Yubaba already waiting for her, seated behind her ornate desk, a stack of glittering gold coins before her. "Ís," the witch said with a long-suffering sigh, shoving her hoard aside. "Whatever am I to do with you? It isn't even your first week and already you're causing trouble." Yubaba stood and slowly walked around Ís, examining her. Then her eyes lit up and she clapped her hands together. "I've got it!" she exclaimed. The witch ran to the nearby bureau and began digging through it, chucking things willy-nilly. Finally, she brought out a tiny box, a reverent gleam in her eyes. "This should do the trick," she said, clearly pleased.

Inside the ivory box was a fat, black, wriggling slug. "Go on!" Yubaba commanded. "Swallow it!"

But Ís, disgusted, found the strength to refuse. "No!" she shouted, revolted by the idea. "Ne—"

But Yubaba, with a wave of her jewel-encrusted hand, immobilized Ís' body mid-word, mouth wide open. Pulling the slug out with her other hand, Yubaba plopped it in Ís' mouth. There it wriggled, cold and slimy, as it began to make its way down her throat. When slug's fat body slid down her esophagus, Ís wanted to puke.

Meanwhile, Yubaba paced around the girl, appraising the slug's progress. When Ís could feel the its cold, dead weight lying heavily in her stomach, the witch nodded approvingly and snapped her fingers before Ís' face. Immediately, the girl's eyes adopted a blank, confused look. "Ís," Yubaba said, savouring the child's false name, the name which bound the girl tighter than chains ever could. "I am your master."

Ís nodded blankly. "You are my master," she repeated mournfully. "You are my master."

Yubaba grinned widely, then snapped her fingers once again before the girl's face, bringing a cold, cruel light into the child's eyes. "Ís, these are your instructions. First, do not leave the bathhouse without my permission. Second, forget the slug. Third, leave my study."

Ís nodded crisply. "I shall not leave the bathhouse without your permission, master." She bowed once, deeply towards Yubaba. "I shall be leaving now as you ordered. And I have forgotten the slug."

Yubaba grinned widely as Ís walked away. Between the ownership of the child's true name and the control slug she'd ensconced in her stomach, the human girl with such remarkable powers was entirely hers.

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 _I'll be responding to guests reviews here. And I always reply to signed reviews through the PM function._

 _ **Love Elsa a lot:**_ _Well, that's a lot to respond to, so I'll try my best. First off, I make no promises for any of the characters that I introduce or plot bunnies I chase. That's for me to know and you to find out ;) Secondly, Elsa's spirit-name is Ís (which I like because it sounds like ice XD). Ískristallar is not part of this story. Ískristallar is madamasharpless24601's — I've already stolen one name from her, and I refuse to steal another. Third, YES, I completely agree with you in that with Elsa in the Spirit World, both of the girls will get the childhood they deserved. I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story. And, based off your many, super-creative reviews, I bet you could even write your own spectacular crossover featuring our favorite ice queen (because even if I tried, there's no way that I could manage to fit in all of your suggestions). Tell me if you do; I'd be happy to read it._

 _ **Elsa and Ingrid**_ **:** _I will most definitely consider adding Ingrid, but my brain can be so random and crazy that I'm afraid I can't promise anything. Thanks for the suggestion, though! :)_

 _ **Identical Twins:**_ _I'm planning on Elsa meeting Zeniba, don't worry. Though the encounter may not go the way you think…._

 _ **Love Elfen Lied:**_ _Ummm…...thanks for the review? I'm not quite sure what you were trying to do there._

 _ **Love Crossovers:**_ _I'm really glad that you liked the fact that Elsa has been separated from her parents. I was worried everyone would be angry at me for splitting her and Anna up. But that's clearly not the case :)_

 _ **Better Frozen:**_ _I'll try, but the characters develop as they develop. I've already planned the entire plot and, since I refuse to change it now, the characters will fall where they may._

 _ **Love AnimeManga:**_ _I make no promises for anything. It's definitely an intriguing idea, though._


	4. Chapter 4: Lin

**Chapter Four: Lin**

 _Whoever tried to encourage me to write through reviewing on my other story please stop. All it did was make me irritated, and then I had trouble writing._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen._

….

Once Ís passed through her doorway, her soul crashed back into her body.

She dropped, spent, onto futon — she hadn't been able to lift it, let alone shove it in a closet, so Lin had suggested she just leave it on the floor — and buried her head in her hands. Each time she thought about her trip to Yubaba's study, her head began to ache.

Immediately, a sharp pain split her skull. It was as if she weren't supposed to remember.

Lying on her stomach, Ís cradled her head and absent-mindedly stroked her owl charm, thinking about her impression of the bathhouse instead of Yubaba's study. Namely, how queer it was that the workers fell over themselves to curry favor from Yubaba. To gain power, Ís would want to align herself with her master.

Ís frowned. _Why did I just refer to Yubaba as my master?_ she asked herself. It was so out of character that it made her question her sanity. She began to ponder the events of Yubaba's study once again, forgetting about the pain which normally accompanied it. Only temporarily, though. Again her head throbbed; it felt as though her mind was being torn in two. It was too much for Ís and, giving a cry, she fell back on the futon, unconscious.

…..

When she came to, Lin was standing above her and her sheets were cold and wet.

"You were unconscious," the spirit woman stated. "It was necessary to splash you with cold water." Then she continued, as had become their custom, shoving open the door to the bathroom. "It is time for your bath. I shall assist you in scraping away the human stench."

Groaning, Ís got up. Her stomach felt as though something had crawled in there and died. She sluggishly shucked off her clothes and subjected herself to Lin's ministrations.

After Ís had been pampered and her skin glistened with oil, Lin informed her that the human stench had faded from her skin and Yubaba had insisted that tonight she begin to learn to control her powers. Henceforth, the spirit woman said, Ís would need to adopt the bathhouse's nocturnal schedule like the rest of its inhabitants. Then Lin drained the tub, signalling the end of the conversation, and ordered Ís to put on her clothes.

Eyes wide with excitement — tonight she was training — Ís changed into her light-blue uniform and snowflake headband. But as she did so, her owl charm bounced over her skinny chest and Ís heard a quiet hoot of defeat. When she turned to find its source, though, she was startled to hear Lin say, "That's a powerful enchantment on that owl." Lin hadn't been unable to spot the owl before — wasn't it invisible? "I rarely sense magic, but now that I've seen it, your charm practically screams of protection. I can't believe I didn't notice it earlier!" The spirit woman drew closer to Ís. Lin asked, "Is it supposed to be grey?"

Shocked, Ís glanced down at the charm Grand Pabbie had given her. The owl's feathers, once white, were now clouded with a murky darkness. It looked infected. "What happened?" Ís exclaimed. "This is horrible!" Tears began to well in eyes, and for once she forgot her mantra. The snowy owl had been her last link to the Mortal World and, as a protection charm, had helped her remain calm. She was on her own now….

Lin saw the panic writ clearly on Ís' face. Her maternal instincts urged her to enfold the girl in a hug, but she knew there was no time. "Snap out of it!" she shouted, grabbing Ís' shoulders and shaking her roughly. "Yubaba is waiting for me to deliver you. We have to go. We can't keep her waiting. Just put that bell Yubaba gave you in your pocket; if you need me, ring it, and I'll come running."

"Understood," Ís replied. She snatched the bell from her desk and shoved it into her uniform. Her stomach was hurting more than ever, but she was determined to stay strong. _Conceal, don't feel,_ she reminded herself. Lin gave her a quick once-over, then grabbed her arm and bustled Ís out of her room.

When the two of them were alone in Yubaba's private elevator, Lin whispered, "Look, Ís. I'll come see you after my shift is over. Promise. We can talk about the owl then, okay?"

Ís could only nod before the elevator doors opened and she was deposited before Yubaba's obnoxious knocker.

"Hello, child," it sneered. "Do come in."

….

The lesson passed in an exhilarating blur for Ís: never before had she used her powers so freely. It made her feel alive, even with the uncomfortable weight in her middle.

Yubaba had placed Ís in a pentacle and cast multiple protection spells around the room. Then she began to advise her of her powers.

Love, the witch had scoffed, is the easy way out — true control is reached through complete detachment. Then she'd commanded Ís to frost the pear before her. Ís did so, keeping Yubaba's advice in her mind. _Conceal, don't feel._ It wasn't really that different than what she'd already been doing.

After many, many tries she succeeded. Her pear, once a pale green, was now coated in a small sheen of frost. Ís let her mask slip for a second, allowing her exhilaration to show on her face. She was glowing with pride; she'd actually done something useful with her powers.

So when she walked back into her room, she was shocked to see Lin there waiting for her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, the sight of the spirit woman killing the exuberance she'd previously felt. Her face fell into tense, irritated lines rarely seen on an eight year old. "This is my room. Get out."

But Lin remained where she was instead. "I'm here to talk about your owl."

At the mention of Grand Pabbie's talisman, Ís bit her lip and worry flitted across her face. Her stomach twinged again, but she ignored it. "I can't believe that I forgot about that!" she exclaimed. "I was so busy trying to control my powers for Yubaba — I am sorry, Lin." She bowed deeply to the spirit. "Please forgive me."

Lin waved away her apologies. "Understood. Yubaba has a rather…. dominant personality. Of course, never say that to her face…..anyways, I digress. Let's see the owl charm you were getting so worked up about earlier."

Grinning — for Ís was discovering that she liked Lin more and more — the girl pulled the carving out from under her uniform. The effect was immediate. Lin recoiled, rubbing her eyes.

"Wow, Ís. That's some strong stuff there." She squinted, drew close, then said worriedly, "Everything is cloudy, Ís; it's almost pure black."

Is peered at the charm as well. "What would do this?"

"I don't know," Lin replied. "Possibly some type of dark magic. Have you been exposed to anything lately?"

Ís shook her head, then doubled over as pain shot through her head and stomach. She whimpered softly as she collapsed on the floor, shaking like a leaf.

Lin dropped down next to her, laying a tentative hand on her forehead. "Ís, are you okay?" she asked. "You're burning up." When Ís didn't reply, she said more frantically, "Please, please don't die with me here. Yubaba would skin me alive if you died on my watch….."

Ís tried to chuckle weakly, but opted instead to moan as her stomach churned once more. "Aaaaaaaargh," she groaned, "Lin, watch out."

Lin backed away from her hurriedly. Almost against her will, Ís began to throw up. Everything she had eaten in the past two days came streaming out of her mouth, and with it a fat, black slug.

"A control slug!" Lin gasped; the spirit woman dashed forward and began stomping. The slug wriggled desperately away from her bare feet, but it was no match for Lin. When she squished it, its guts oozed over her toes and, with a disgusted cry, she ran to Ís. Forming a rectangle with her thumbs and forefingers, Lin shouted, "Quick! Run a finger between my two hands and break the evil curse! I can't have this rubbing off on me!"

Still dazed from retching, Ís did what Lin asked without a question. As she did it, Lin chanted, "Evil begone!" There was a moment of eerie silence, and then the spirit woman flopped onto the floor next to Ís. "So," she said conversationally, "can I see your owl now? I bet it's better now."

Ís nodded weakly; she pulled the owl charm out, immediately noticing the pristine feathers and sparkling eyes.

"Good," Lin said. "You're healed and your charm still works. I bet Yubaba put that slug in you." She frowned. "Ís, be careful. I don't think your owl could protect you from another one — I've heard of this type of charm before. They draw first from the energy reservoir inside of them, and then from the bearer's life force. Another slug and it'd be forced to draw from you, probably killing you in the process. You'll need to act as if you never threw it up. That means doing everything and anything the witch commands." Lin paused, then said seriously, "promise me that, Ís."

Touched, Ís nodded. "I will," she promised. "I will."

Lin gave her a small smile. "Good." Then her usual brusque demeanor returned. "Well, I've got to go to bed," she yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "It's getting late and we both have work to do tomorrow. Until then, Ís."

The spirit woman let herself out of the room, leaving Ís to stare after her in wonder. Lin was much different than she had imagined; beneath the prickly exterior lay a good heart. Something she never would have suspected. Her head filled with the day's surprises, Ís crawled into bed, resolving to think about them later, when she wasn't so tired.

She snuggled into her blankets, exhausted, and fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 _ **Love Elsa a lot:** Don't worry! There'll be a lot of chapters. I just write slowly. And I'm friends with madamasharpless24601, so when I asked her if I could Ís, and she said it was fine. And yes, Elsa is in the Japanese bathhouse._

 _ **Frozen OAUT:** I've already decided which characters will be in Elsa's Story. And to find out, you'll just have to keep reading….. And of course I'm going to post more! This is going to be a looooong story. My longest yet._

 _ **Elsa and Ingrid:** If you're eager to see Elsa and Ingrid bonding, perhaps you should read a Frozen x Once Upon a Time crossover. This story is a Spirited Away crossover. And in answer to your question, I'm not good at creating colorful pictures; drawing has never been my strong suit._

 _ **Love Crossovers:** Don't worry about Elsa not getting enough screen time here, this story's all about her ;) And she'll be getting plenty of training. In fact, a little too much… Also, of course I'm sad that I couldn't fit in your suggestions!_

 _ **Love Japanese:** I'm sorry, but I can't answer your questions. That'd be giving it all away!_

 _ **Spirited Away:** It's too late now to change the course of the story. I've made my plans, and I'm not changing them._


	5. The Passage of Time

**Chapter Five: Conversations With Lin**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen._

….

When Ís awoke the next day, exhausted from retching, night had already fallen. _Huh,_ she thought wryly, _I guess I'm adjusting to this nocturnal schedule._ Then, as if her rousing had summoned Lin, the spirit woman rapped on the door and, not waiting for Ís to acknowledge her, pushed it open.

"Good morning," Lin sang. "I've brought you some breakfast."

Ís grinned; Lin had never greeted her so cordially before. "Thank you," she said. "But I'm not hungry just yet. Perhaps I could wash first?" She smiled wanly. "Although you needn't help me, Lin. Yubaba only ordered you to scrub away my human scent, and she's made it clear that I no longer smell."

But Lin only laughed at her polite protests. "Don't worry about it, Ís. I actually enjoy helping you — even though you're a human — so get in the tub!"

Ís obeyed, figuring that it was an oblique apology. But that didn't stop her from saying, while Lin was drawing the bath, "Don't call me human, Lin. I'm not a human anymore. Don't remind me of my past."

Lin frowned. "Ís, your past is you. Perhaps you're not proud of it, but you can't forget it. Embrace it. After all," she added ominously, "if you forget who you are, you can never truly leave the bathhouse. Why else would Yubaba steal your name?"

"My name?" Ís asked, arching her eyebrows. "But I still have my name. It's Ís."

"That's what you think," Lin said. "Just like I think my name is Lin. But everyone knows that Yubaba steals names to bind employees to the bathhouse. So don't suppress your memories. Or one day you'll try to remember and draw a blank."

"But I do remember!" Ís protested.

"Really?" Lin challenged, raising an eyebrow. "Do you even remember your parents?"

"Of course!" Ís exclaimed. "They were the King and Queen of Arendelle. They were the ones who abandoned me here. And they aren't my parents. They're just selfish, hurtful humans. I hate them."

"Well, the bathhouse always exacerbates negative emotions such as hate, anger, and fear." Lin said wisely. "I would know. Can you remember anything else?"

Ís seethed, "Their names were Agnarr and Iduna. And one day, I'll be free from Yubaba and I'll make them pay for not loving me. They'll freeze, and with them all of Arendelle." By the time Ís had finished her tirade, she was shaking with emotion. Tears were falling freely.

"Shhh, it's okay, Ís," Lin soothed as she began to rub fragrant shampoos into Ís' hair. "Time will dull the pain. It did for me." At Ís' curious look, the spirit woman elaborated. "Humans were the ones who killed my representation in the Human World." Lin sniffled, "I _hated_ humans. They were the ones that forced me to get a job at this cursed bathhouse. But then I met you, and realized that you may have been human, but you'd never done anything to me. Why, you probably weren't even born when my essence was destroyed!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm that old." Lin paused, then continued, "When you spit up the slug, I realized that both of us, spirit and human, were suffering under Yubaba, just in different ways. And yet I directed all my hatred at the humans." Sighing, Lin washed the shampoos out of Ís' hair. "I should have hated Yubaba instead. She actually deserved it."

There was a moment of silence, and then Lin pasted a bright, fake smile on her face. With false cheer she said, "Well, I think we're about done. You should probably get dressed and go to that witch. I heard that she's going to assign you your duties, so don't be late!" With that Lin left the cramped bathroom. "I'll be waiting outside."

After Ís had dressed, she joined Lin in the main chamber. "Shall we go?" she asked, eager to leave.

Lin looked at her, narrowed her eyes, and frowned. "Not quite yet." she replied. "Don't look so happy. Remember, you need to treat everyone with contempt, like Yubaba does. Otherwise, she'll know that you destroyed the slug."

Ís nodded, closing her eyes. _Conceal, don't feel_. When she felt the cold press of ice against her heart, she reopened her eyes, now shards of clear glass in place if her usual sweet blue. "I'm ready," she stated.

Lin looked at her, amazed by the transformation the human girl had gone through. Then she opened the door and gestured Ís out. "Then let's go."

…

"Ís," the witch began, looking with distaste at the scrawny human girl before her. "You shall spend the first half of the night in my library, researching spells, spirits, and talismans. Once a week you'll be quizzed, and I expect you to perform admirably." The unspoken 'or else' hung in the air.

Ís nodded. So the first part of her night would be spent studying. That didn't sound too bad.

Yubaba continued, "Afterwards you'll be training with myself or Kagwi, the Bamboo Spirit. You'll alternate between us. I will be helping you further master your Elemental Powers, and Kagwi will be instructing you in mixed martial arts. A girl needs to be able to defend herself…." the witch trailed off cryptically.

 _Well,_ Ís thought wryly, _I'm sure my parents didn't imagine that their royal daughter would become a warrior._ But she banished the thought, afraid to dwell on her parents any longer. _They made their decision. And I made mine._ If she continued to allow them to cloud her mind, she would not survive in the Spirit World.

"What are you waiting for?" Yubaba demanded. Not allowing Ís to answer, the witch continued, "Go research in the library, or you'll be writhing in agony in my study." Yubaba grinned disconcertingly. "You'll receive a first-hand experience of my spells."

Ís nodded coldly, bowed, and without further ado left the study. She loathed the witch as much as she hated her parents, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. One day, though, when Ís had mastered her powers, she would extract her revenge on all who had wronged her. One day they would beg mercy from her.

Yubaba, misinterpreting the human's frozen countenance, grinned wickedly. The control slug had done its job well. The girl would be useful yet.

….

The library was a cavern, with books scattered throughout. It was so large that Ís had difficulty finding what she wanted, but over time she grew accustomed to it. In the center of the library there sat a single desk, and it was there Ís studied. She took copious amounts of notes: she memorized spirit names, shapes, powers and weaknesses; she acquainted herself with magical artifacts, mundane and magnificent; she learned offensive and defensive spells that could be used against her. Ís was careful to master everything — Yubaba was an exacting master, and her apprentice's failures did not go unpunished.

Each time Yubaba punished her, Ís would ball her fists, unforgiving nails digging into her flesh; if she didn't control her temper, she would lash out at Yubaba before she was ready. Before success was assured. And she couldn't afford to fail. Failure would place her under a control slug for the rest of her life. Therefore, Ís waited for the day when she was more powerful than Yubaba; when success was certain she would strike, and Yubaba would be the one begging mercy.

And so, with the thought of sweet vengeance in her mind, Ís threw herself into her mixed martial arts and Elemental Power lessons.

At first, Ís had scoffed at her martial arts lessons. She could manipulate ice; she was an Elemental; why would she need martial arts? However, she'd quickly discovered its uses.

Her first lesson, Kagwi had challenged Ís to a duel which, grinning, she'd accepted. In the fight, though, he'd bent and struck, flexible as bamboo, effortlessly avoiding the icicles the girl threw at him. Ís had come away nursing numerous bruises. And afterwards Ís had come to accept that magic would only get her that far; to beat Yubaba she'd need to employ other, more mundane methods. Methods that Kagwi seemed all too pleased to teach her.

He also instructed her in knife-throwing and acrobatics. Knife-throwing was clearly useful — with a knife one could disable an opponent with more ease and accuracy than with an ice blast. Acrobatics, though, had been more difficult for Ís to understand the need for. But when she asked Kagwi, he'd winked and dared her her to freeze him: every blast missed his flipping form, remarkably spry for his old age, and Ís grasped acrobatics use, throwing herself into it. Avoiding Yubaba's spells would be simpler if she could dance out of the way like a snowflakes. All in all, Kagwi's lessons were enjoyable.

However, Kagwi also worked to strengthen Ís' muscles, and fitness was horrible. Hours spent running, lifting weights, and doing abs exhausted Ís.

But she persevered. Slowly, her daggers hit their targets, her flips improved, and she became lean and lithe, strong as nails. After all, she'd promised herself that one day she would crush Yubaba, and to do so she needed to master her body, to counteract the witch's prodigious control of magic. Ís trained relentlessly: she stretched; she conditioned; she got Lin to bring her some of the cook's knives to practice throwing with — they may not be weighted correctly, but any practice helped.

If Kagwi noticed her drastic improvement, he didn't mention it. He only added more work. Each night Ís would collapse onto her futon, drained. But she preferred his lessons for he was fair, unlike Yubaba.

Yubaba would punish Ís for the slightest mistake: perhaps she'd botched the hand gestures, mumbled the incorrect incantation, or failed her recitations. Ís always dreaded the nights she spent in the witch's study. Yet she learned much more than she could ever have imagined. She honed her technique and her powers flourished, though along with it her hatred for Yubaba.

…...

And so four years passed for Ís in the Spirit World: memorizing facts about her new home, training with Kagwi, and mastering her powers with Yubaba. She became strong in mind, body, and spirit. The nights melded together, each similar to the last, until a bedraggled boy with jade-green eyes wandered into the bathhouse.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 _Time jump! Four spirit years later, and we have a new character! :) And I'm so sorry for the late update! Life attacked and, as always, school comes first. I had editor's block (is that a thing?) for this chapter. But I'll be updating next Saturday! Call it my apology XD_

 _ **Love Holidays:**_ _I'm pretty sure the Japanese didn't celebrate Christmas, so no._

 _ **Favorable Else:**_ _I'm not going to show her birthday parties because it would slow any plot-stuff to a crawl. Still, birthdays are important…..._

 _ **Like Elsa a Lot:**_ _Wow, you really don't like Anna. Well, no worries. She really doesn't appear in this story._

 _ **Cool Crossovers:**_ _Thanks :)_

 _ **Like Crossovers:**_ _I'm glad you like this story so much._

 _ **Love Elsa a Lot:**_ _Well, if you want more of the story, stay tuned! I try to update once every three weeks, and always on a Saturday (at least for this story). And I think this story is more fun than Frozen, just because of the possibilities of Elsa in the Spirit World. And yes, Elsa is growing up in the Japanese, Spirit World bathhouse, far from Norway._

 _ **Love Crossovers:**_ _Thanks!_

 _ **Love AnimeManga:**_ _Yes, I have seen other Ghibli movies. And I love them. In case you didn't notice, my naming Ís'_ _bamboo spirit sensei "Kagwi" was a tiny nod to "The Tale of Princess Kaguya", a Ghibli movie I saw recently, about a girl found in the bamboo. I just managed to misspell 'Kaguya' when writing, and didn't realize it until now. And wow, that's quite a list of Ghibli movies that you have seen. I'm impressed._

 _ **Fiction's Better:**_ _No worries. I've got 5 more chapters lined up, so I'm definitely not abandoning this story before I can post those. You're safe until chapter 10 XD_


	6. A Dragon Arrives

**Chapter Six: A Dragon Arrives**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen._

….

One night, a bedraggled boy with jade-green eyes wandered into the bathhouse.

Ís hadn't known. When Yubaba had come to the library to check on her, the witch had seemed inordinately pleased with herself, but Ís had assumed she'd punished at a worker. She'd only hoped it wasn't Lin and given the matter no other consideration.

It wasn't until the next evening that Ís discovered there was another apprentice, a rival, to be dealt with.

She'd walked out of her room and frozen in surprise at the sight of a dark-haired boy outside of her door. She had been about to blast him for being where he didn't belong — no one else lived on her floor, he was clearly a customer bent on causing mischief — when Lin came in. The spirit woman had understood the situation in a heartbeat and shouted, "Ís, stop!"

Ís lowered her hands; ever since she'd puked up the slug, the spirit woman had been a combination of her mother and older sister. She trusted her unconditionally. However, she would never have expected the next words out of Lin's mouth.

"The boy is Yubaba's new apprentice."

"But what about me?" Ís gasped. "What am I? Will she get rid of me?"

Laughing good-naturedly at her fears, Lin replied, "Don't worry. Your contract still exists, and Yubaba would never let an Elemental slip through her fingers. You'll be here for at least another two years. A witch can have two apprentices."

Ís sighed, relieved. Then, realizing she'd been ignoring the green-eyed boy, she moved to include him. "I'm sorry," she said. "My name is Ís. What's yours?"

"Haku," he answered, giving an understanding smile at her blunder. "I'm Haku."

"That's a very nice name." Ís said politely. "How long will you be the witch's apprentice?"

"I don't know," Haku replied. "I can't remember anything."

Silence followed the spirit boy's words. Ís was shocked — she hadn't realized how lenient Yubaba had been to her. However, when she tried to remember her past, she found she, too, had forgotten. All that remained was a blur of hate, pain, and loss.

Lin nodded knowingly. "Figures" she said. "Yubaba has only become more paranoid with age. As her apprentices, I'm sure that she took the time to cast a quick memory-modification charm on you both. I mean, besides her, you two are arguably the most powerful beings in the bathhouse." She looked meaningfully at Ís. "Think of what your ice powers could do, if you thought you wanted to escape. Therefore, she's erased your memories. Now you have nowhere to go, nothing to fight for. Except for her."

Ís nodded, hiding her true feelings from Haku, who may or may not be a friend. She was going to fight against the injustice of the bathhouse. For her sake, for Lin's sake, and maybe even for Haku's sake. She stole a glance at the boy with the jade green eyes and jetblack hair, who seemed almost… serpentine. He clearly wasn't a human child. Ís asked the boy, "What are you?"

Haku shook his head sadly. "I don't know. I told you I forgot everything. All I know is that I can do this."

The boy transformed into a dragon, smiled toothily at Ís, then changed back to his human form. Glancing at Lin, Ís noticed that her eyes were narrowed in concentration and her face was inscrutable. The spirit woman knew something, something Ís didn't. But she didn't mention it —- there was time enough for that later on. Years in the bathhouse had taught Ís the need for patience and subtlety.

"Well, anyways," Ís said, changing the subject, "I've gotta go. I've a martial arts lesson with Kagwi soon, and if I am late again Yubaba will—-" she caught herself. She tried not to worry Lin with the consequences of her disobedience; she knew that it would only make the spirit woman fret. As it was, Lin already followed Ís everywhere she went.

The two of them exchanged bows with Haku, then left.

Once they were at the grassy knoll overlooking the pig pens, screened from eavesdroppers by tall, flowering hedges, Ís asked Lin, "What's the boy?"

Lin started. "How could you tell that I knew something about him?" she asked, astounded.

"Your forehead got all wrinkly," Ís laughed. "And be careful — wrinkly foreheads are a sign of old age!"

Lin sighed, and playfully swatted the human child — no, she wasn't a child anymore, Lin mused. She was twelve now. "Dragons are supposedly the River Spirits. Haven't you heard the story of how when the Jade Dragon, the Rain Master, refused to make it rain, her four dragon children transformed themselves into the four Chinese rivers to save the humans from the drought?"

Ís shook her head. "Where's China?" she asked. "I've never heard of it."

Lin frowned. "You've never heard of China? But everyone's heard of China."

"Well I haven't."

"That's odd."

Silence fell, as the two of them contemplated the strangeness of their situation. Finally, Kagwi arrived. "Greetings, Lady Lin."

Lin flushed; Kagwi was the only one who referred to her as such, and the idea of herself as a royal Lady embarassed her. "Anyways," the spirit woman said uncomfortably, turning to Ís, "I've gotta go. I can't be late for my job. Bye Ís!"

"Bye, Lin!" Ís waved until the spirit woman disappeared into the flowering bushes. Then she turned to Kagwi, bowing respectfully before her sensei.

He bowed back. "We start with the first form, Ís. Let us begin."

…...

Ís groaned. Kagwi never pulled punches, and so she was sticky and sweaty and covered with purpling bruises, standing outside in the oppressive heat.

She'd been waiting patiently by the pig pens since her lesson ended for Lin to collect her; the spirit woman insisted that the bathhouse was too dangerous. Ís had narrowly avoided retorting that she could take care of herself — she was the witch's apprentice for a reason — because she knew that Lin cared about her a lot, and her protectiveness stemmed from love, not greed. Plus, she was pretty sure that someone had a small crush on Kagwi, and Lin would never forgive her if she kept her away from the bamboo spirit.

Finally, Lin arrived. After some strained small talk between the two spirits, Lin and Ís returned to their rooms. This time though, oddly enough, Ís was actually grateful for Lin's presence: there were far more prying eyes and whispered rumors than ever before.

It was a welcome relief to reach the privacy of the elevator. The ride up was silent, as the two of them luxuriated in the peace. When the elevator doors opened Ís strode out, ready to reach her room and finally relax; however, she walked straight into Yubaba's frothy blue dress.

"Oof!" she cried, falling to the floor.

The witch, though, wasn't affected at all by the slight girl crashing into her. She snapped, "Watch where you're going" as she bustled into the elevator, shoved Lin out, and pulled the lever, presumably to reach her rooms. The doors closed, leaving Ís lying on the floor in shock. In fact, it was only when Lin came near and offered her a hand that Ís, grasping it, got up. "Well, that was strange," the human girl said, furrowing her brow.

Lin agreed. "Normally she never comes out of her rooms. Something's up."

Ís sighed. "Great, just what we need, more stress." She pulled off her shirt, revealing bruised arms and a sweat-sodden undershirt. "I've got to take a bath, Lin."

"Of course. I'll even help, if you like," Lin replied.

Ís was about to refuse when Haku came out of his room and stalked towards them. He stared at her, his eyes roving up and down her form.

"Eep!" Ís squeaked. She had all but forgotten about him. Crossing her arms over her chest, she demanded, "What are you looking at?"

"Oh, nothing," Haku responded icily. "Just that spirits don't sweat that much, so you're obviously a _human_." he said the word with such loathing that Lin, at Ís' side, stiffened.

Ís stuck her chin up. _Conceal, don't feel._ Her mind raced — if he told, she'd be be worthless. No one would respect her. Her fears writhed in her stomach, her panic choked her, and Ís was at a loss of what to say.

Lin, however, stepped in front of her and advanced on Haku, her eyes narrowed. "Listen here, buster. You pick on Ís, you pick on me."

Haku's features twisted into a smirk. "What would a spirit woman like you want to do with a filthy human like her?" he asked. "She's useless, and will only bring you pain."

"You'll regret that," Ís said. Haku didn't even flinch at her quiet threat, but it was his problem if he underestimated her. "You'll rue the day you made an enemy of me."

Haku smirked. "As if. No one fears you, human. No one wants you."

The spirit woman snapped, "We don't have to listen to his trash anymore." Lin grabbed Ís' arm, turned angrily and stomped away, dragging the girl behind her. Once the two were in the privacy of the elevator, she murmured, "Don't cry yet. Wait. I'm taking us somewhere safe, but we mustn't let the other employees see you like this."

Is nodded, willing her eyes dry. _Conceal, don't feel. Put on a show._ The two of them hurried through the bathhouse, ignoring the catcalls from the other workers. Just when Ís thought she couldn't bear another taunt, Lin crouched and pulled aside a sliding panel, hissing, "Go in." Ís dropped to her knees and crawled through. Lin followed close behind.

On the other side of the wooden panel lay a small room whose walls were covered in drawers and one spirit, his eight arms hard at work, shouting at the animated soot spirits carrying coal into the fire. The spider spirit turned slowly toward Ís. He squinted at her, then said in his raspy voice, "Lin, who is this child?"

"She's Yubaba's first apprentice," the spirit woman replied. "Her name is Ís."

"The first one?" Kamaji asked, peering curiously at Ís. "I'd heard the rumors, but I've never seen her before."

"You wouldn't have," Lin answered. "But we're not here for introductions. We need to hide from Yubaba's other apprentice."

Kamaji blinked in surprise. "What?" he exclaimed. "I let him in. Haku wouldn't have done that."

"You know Haku?" Lin asked angrily. "You let him into the bathhouse? He's horrible!"

Kamaji shook his head vehemently. "The boy is kind and polite."

Lin raised an eyebrow. "Impossible. He's as rude and arrogant as they come. Kamaji, he's telling everyone that she's a human."

"She's human?" Kamaji asked. "That explains why she never left her rooms to lord her position over us workers….." he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Haku wouldn't do that. That's impossible."

"Well, spider-man, he did. You're wrong. Facts are facts," Lin replied.

Ís, sensing an impending argument, hastily piped up, "Maybe it wasn't really Haku. What if Yubaba put a control slug in him, like she did to me?"

The two spirits looked at her in shock, and then nodded.

"Aye," Kamaji said, "that would do it. A control slug makes its host cruel, even when not under direct orders."

Meanwhile, Lin was smacking herself. "I can't believe that I forgot about the control slug!" she cried, whacking her forehead repeatedly. "Stupid stupid stupid!"

"it's okay, Lin," Ís reassured her friend. "It's been four years; anyone could forget. But what can we do about him?"

Kamaji shook his head. "Nothing, child," he said gently, touching Ís' face with one of his rough hands. "Nothing at all. He is Yubaba's apprentice, a spirit with almost unlimited power here in the bathhouse. To try and fight him would be suicide."

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 _I'll be updating next week too! Next Saturday, stay tuned for Chapter Seven: A Meeting with Yubaba._

 _ **Love AnimeMange:**_ _No, I'm sorry for having confused you. Kagwi was not a martial-arts sensei in the Tale of Princess Kaguya. I chose the name Kagwi because I'm pretty sure that it meant "bamboo", and I was having trouble naming Ís' sensei. And in my mind, a bamboo spirit would know about martial arts. Also, I don't watch much anime so I don't recognize any of the other names._

 _ **Love Elsa a Lot:**_ _In the Spirit World Elsa is much less isolated. She's got Lin, who's like her big sister with her all the time! And no, Elsa will not be turning into a dragon._

 _ **Love Magical:**_ _Maybe. I personally think Ís should have more powers, but this story needs to make sense. So that might not play a part in Elsa's Story._

 _ **Fiction's Better:**_ _The future tenth chapter won't be the worst one ever. It's just the last one that I have rough-drafted as of now. I'm still going to intensely edit it. It'll be of equal quality as all the rest of my chapters._

 _ **Love Cultures:**_ _Actually, I really don't know anything about Japanese cultures. I'm drawing very heavily on Ghibli movies right now, and making the rest of it up. Or using Wikipedia. And There's magic at work in the Spirit World. There's no language barriers XD_

 _ **Favorable Elsa:**_ _Not true! I'm sure Ís and Lin celebrated her birthdays, and Kagwi may have even let her have the day off! (Yubaba wouldn't have, though)._

 _ **Like Elsa a Lot:**_ _I'm sorry about everyone pestering you. That sounds horrible. You sure seem able to sympathize with Elsa. For me, I just like Elsa because she's a complex character. It makes her fun to write. And she didn't deserve to become a fallen princess, it's just the role that fit this plot best. And I promise nothing for Yubaba and Is._

 _ **Elsa and Ingrid:**_ _You probably won't. I've never seen OUAT, and I'm focusing on the characters that I know._

 _ **Baby Infant Elsa:**_ _That sounds like the basis of a story! You should get an account and write it._


	7. A Meeting With Yubaba

**Chapter Seven: A Meeting with Yubaba**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen._

Ís lifted her chin belligerently at Kamaji's words. "No," she proclaimed, startling the Spider Spirit beside her. The girl he'd just met hadn't had that poise, nor the steely glint of determination in her eyes. "I refuse to accept that. I refuse to let a stupid lizard ruin my life."

Kamaji nodded, but asked skeptically, "How are you going to stop him? He is Yubaba's apprentice. It is forbidden face him."

"I'm an apprentice, too, Kamaji. I'll be reminding Yubaba of that when I pay her a visit." At the witch's name, the two spirits shrank back. "She can order Haku to leave me alone. This needs to be done now, before the rumor is spread further and does more damage. Lin, will you come with me?"

Lin sighed. "Fine, I guess," she replied. "I'm not letting my little sister run off on a hare-brained scheme alone."

Ís smiled; she'd known Lin would come. And her silent support would be welcome when she faced down Yubaba.

Together the two of them journeyed through the bathhouse, ignoring the strange glances thrown their way. Clearly, Haku had already been at work sowing the seeds of Ís' demise — it was a good thing that she was going now to Yubaba to snuff out these pernicious rumors.

When Ís knocked on the witch's door, it slowly opened its eyes, yawned, and said sleepily, "Girl, why are you here? I'm about to go to bed."

Ís hid her feelings, allowing her face to become blank. She replied smoothly, "Master, I am here to talk about Haku."

"Yes, yes, the dragon-boy's also my apprentice. Now go away. I need my beauty rest."

"Master, Haku has been spreading vile rumors about my background. How I am human."

"Deal with it yourself," the knocker grouched. "It's not my problem."

Ís felt the laughter bubbling up inside of her, and a calculating smile almost slipped through her defenses. "Master, the knowledge that you have a human apprentice will tarnish your reputation and the bathhouse's."

Soft snoring emanated from the locker.

"Master? " Ís asked cautiously. "Did you hear me?"

"Whuzzat?" Yubaba snorted. "No, I didn't. Say it again."

"If other spirits know I am human, it will destroy the reputations of both yourself and the bathhouse's. Therefore, you must stop Haku from spreading rumours immediately, before more damage is done."

The knocker yawned. "Fine," it said, grudging respect in its voice. "You're a clever one, Ís. I'll call him up." Then its eyes swiveled toward Lin, who was staring, awestruck, at Ís. "Well? Don't stand here all day. Don't you have training to do and tubs to wash?"

Bowing deeply, both left.

When the elevator doors shut, and the two were once again in private, Lin turned to Ís and said, "That was amazing! The way you stood up to her and convinced her…..wow."

Ís blushed and cast her eyes downward. "Yeah," she replied. I can't believe it either. It was remarkably easy. And, for some reason, that unsettles me."

….

The following evening, when Ís was eating breakfast, someone knocked on her door. "Come in!" Ís called, a slight smile gracing her lips. Perhaps Lin had snuck away from her job and decided to spend the stolen minutes with her. It had happened before. However, when the door flew open and revealed the silhouette of a young boy, the smile became a frown, and the frown became a grimace when the spirit-boy threw out his arm, sending a cascade of sparks at the human girl.

"Haku," Ís breathed, dodging the sparks easily. No doubt Yubaba had neglected to order that he leave her in peace, and the control slug's ugly side had appeared. But she would not pay for the witch's oversight. She was done paying for other's mistakes.

Ís straightened and assumed a battle stance. Haku would learn his place. She lunged forward and, flicking her fingers outward, threw ice at the boy. He would pay for threatening her.

However, Ís dreams of revenge were dashed when Haku evaded the icicles Ís had tossed at him with ease, shouting, "Is that all you've got, human? After four years of training with Yubaba? Pathetic."

Ís snarled, twisting her pretty features with rage. With a stamp of her foot, ice blossomed on the ground, creeping over the ground. Haku jumped back —- this was a powerful charm the girl was casting. In a flash he leapt into the air, high above the frost, which had already coated the floor around Ís, and shouted, " _Kuninaka_ ". A glowing ball of energy rocketed toward Ís, but she held her ground. She was determined to win. It drew close to her and Haku smirked triumphantly. The human wouldn't be able to survive. Yet when it were only a hair's-breadth away from her face, Ís exhaled sharply, coating the pulsing energy in a sheen of frost. It dropped like a rock. Shock showed plainly on Haku's face, and Ís knew it was time to end this battle.

With a flick of her fingers, ice exploded outward. Haku froze in shock at the human girl's raw power and, because of his hesitation, Ís was able to pin his clothing to the wall behind him, immobilizing him. Her sessions with Kagwi had paid off — he had not a scratch on him, courtesy to her precise aim.

Chest heaving, Ís advanced on Haku. He glared at her in defiance, loathing in his eyes, and spat, "Human. Useless human."

Ís' eyes narrowed. "I won't take your insults any longer," she said quietly, her voice dripping with venom. She gently placed a hand on his leg and, closing her eyes in concentration, whispered, " _Ískristallar_ ". Ice began to grow around him, encasing the spirit boy's body. When only his head was free Ís removed her hand. Running her nails along his cheek, she whispered, "You're going to need to hold still here, love. The spell I'm about to attempt is dangerous; meddling with the mind always is. An interruption may prove fatal." Ís placed her hands on either side of the boy's head and stared into his jade eyes, about to tinker with his memories, about to erase her human status. It was a spell she'd come across in Yubaba's library and never had the occasion to use before. Frost crept across his forehead, dimming the light in his eyes. His head fell forward. Ís was just beginning to invade his mind when Yubaba stepped out of thin air and shrieked "Stop!"

Ís turned to glare at her, remembering at the last moment she was to play the part of a loyal apprentice, a mindless puppet. So she smoothed the lines in her face, burying her emotions. _Conceal, don't feel._ "Yes, master?"

"Leave the boy alone, Ís."

Ís did so, seething at the injustice of it all. Just because Haku was a spirit he got special treatment. She protested,"But master, he—"

"Leave him be." Yubaba interrupted. "And bring him to my room. I have an assignment for the two of you."

Ís bowed her head, traitorous tears pricking the corner of her eyes. One day she'd be the one giving orders. One day she'd be powerful.

She thawed the ice around Haku with a muttered word and, groaning, lifted him up. Yesterday's bruises still hadn't healed, but it wasn't like the witch would care. Throwing him over her shoulder, she carried him to Yubaba's room, grateful that the boy was slim and light.

When she arrived, Yubaba was already there, digging through her stack of papers. The witch was filing her paperwork when Ís entered, still dragging Haku behind her. At some point in the elevator, her arms had given out and she'd resorted to pulling him behind her like a sack of potatoes. At Yubaba's raised eyebrow, she defiantly dropped him with a _thud_ , and stood at attention.

"Master, what was the assignment you wished to give me?" Ís asked, hoping it wouldn't involve dragon boy.

However, Yubaba's next words crushed the girl's hopes. "Ís," the witch said slowly, as if she were caressing her name, "you and Haku shall be completing a dangerous mission together."

Ís flushed with rage and, throwing caution aside, she retorted, "Haku just tried to kill me. I'm not going on a mission with him."

The witch froze, her eyes bulging to epic proportions. "What did you just say?" she thundered. Yubaba flew over her desk and hovered before Ís. In a tone laden with suspicion she asked, "Has my slug disappeared so quickly?"

Caught, Ís froze. The owl amulet against her skin grew warm and, instinctively, Ís allowed it to guide her. "No," she answered coldly, a cruel light entering her eyes, "I remain yours alone, Master." The talisman hummed with pleasure against her skin, and Ís got the feeling she had narrowly avoided losing herself yet again to the witch.

Yubaba began muttering to herself and Ís discretely eavesdropped, storing the information to peruse at a later date. "The girl is beginning to overcome the slug's direct commands. That bodes ill. But it has been four years. I'm surprised it even lasted that long. Control slugs are expensive too….. I spent over a year's income on Haku's! Humans are weak-willed. And it's not like the girl has anywhere to go. I own her name, and her family is at best a distant memory. Slugs are so expensive….." Finally, the witch stopped muttering and focused on the human girl standing before her. Ís' back as beginning to ache from holding so rigidly still.

"Ís", the witch said, waving a plush armchair over and plopping herself down on it. "You'll be the death of me." A cigar floated to her and, after taking a deep draw, Yubaba blew smoke rings out of her nose like a dragon. "I'll tell you why you're going with Haku. Sit down, child." A wave of her hand, and a pressure pushed Ís to the floor, kneeling before the witch. "This is going to be a long story."

Ís nodded, the pain in her back forgotten.

"When you came to me all those years ago, you were a young girl, abandoned by her parents and alone in the world. And a human girl at that: weak, emotional, childish." Yubaba took a long draw from her cigar, not noticing the tensing of Ís' shoulders. "I was worried about you Ís. I didn't think you could survive here. But I watched, amazed, as you befriended your servant and adapted to this place, so different from your old home. It couldn't have been an easy childhood, but you survived. Most in your place wouldn't have.

"You've trained long and hard. Haven't you ever wondered why I insisted you train with Kagwi, practice your Elemental powers and study the Spirit World's hierarchy, instead of working like the rest of the bathhouse?

"Well, you've been preparing for your unique job. And because your training has been progressing well, I felt the time had drawn near to talk about what this job entails.

"The world outside the bathhouse is cruel." Yubaba took a long draw from her glowing cigar, a smirk on her lips. The human child had to believe she only had her best interests at heart. "They'll hold anything against you, and exploit it mercilessly.

"Haku was a test, Ís, a test you passed. I ordered him to tease you, to taunt you and, after you came to me for help, to fight you. You surpassed all my expectations by being clever, bloodthirsty, and loyal. You have grown into your job — you are going to help me 'collect' magical items."

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 _The next update, Chapter Eight: A Mission for the Witch, won't be until November 26th. (That's four weeks). Sorry, but I'm going to be quite busy, and I don't want to post a chapter that's not as close to perfect as I can make it._

 _Now for the guest reviews:_

 _ **Screw Dull Canon:**_ _I think Hans is a fascinating character, too._

 _ **I love Ingrid:**_ _I don't have time right now to watch OUAT. If I did, there would be no updates for months, and I would end up failing my classes since I'd neglect my homework to watch TV XD_

 _ **Love Cultures:**_ _I like to think the Spirit World exists everywhere, overlaying over our world in a separate dimension. That way, characters from all over space and time can somehow find each other there. Which is a useful trait for crossovers._

 _ **Love Elsa a Lot:**_ _I think if Elsa had practiced her powers in the movie she wouldn't have been a damsel in distress. But it's okay. I can now explore a powerful!Elsa and make it up as I go :)_

 _ **Frozen OAUT:**_ _This is going to be a long story. The eleventh chapter is the last I have rough drafted. Again, with a solid plot-plan, I'm certain that I'm going to finish. I'm guessing there'll end up being around 35 chapters, total._

 _ **Best Crossovers:**_ _I'm glad you like the Lin and Ís interaction :)_

 _ **Love AnimeManga:**_ _Don't worry about it. Kagwi eventually got a name (and one that I like, too). And believe me, if I had the time, I'd be watching all the anime the world could offer._

 _ **Love Crossovers:**_ _Again, I promise nothing. Characters introduced have already been decided and will not, I repeat, will not change._


	8. A Mission for the Witch

**Chapter Eight: A Mission for the Witch**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited away or Frozen._

Ís stormed into her room, where she found Lin waiting. "Ís!" the spirit woman exclaimed. "What happened? I saw Haku attack, and then Yubaba took you two up to her study! Are you okay? You don't have another control slug, do you?"

"I don't," Ís seethed. "Though the witch contemplated it. Now the real problem is that she wants me to steal magical artifacts for her. With lizard boy."

Lin sucked in a breath. "That witch….."

"She just makes me so mad!" Ís cried. "I honestly think she's worse than my parents. If I could, I'd kill her."

Lin's eyes widened, and she hurried to shush Ís. "Don't talk about that; it's not safe. Someone could hear on us."

Ís sighed, deflating. "I know," she replied. "But one day, I'm going to change this place. Haku's delayed my plans by a couple years — I can't fight him and Yubaba — but one day I'll make it better."

Lin nodded. "You could convince lizard-breath to join you," she offered.

"No." Ís shook her head. "He's got a control slug in him, so he's going to be loyal to Yubaba. I'm going to have to wait for it to disappear." Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Or he could disappear," she breathed. "Lin, I could kill him while we're stealing for Yubaba, then lie to her face. Maybe she'll fall for it."

"Maybe." Lin frowned.

"No, this will work, Lin." A smile had appeared on her face, a cold, calculating smile. "I'm going on the witch's mission."

Concerned, Lin looked at Ís. This child was not the scared, unsure girl she'd known, and she wasn't sure if she liked the stranger before her. Still, she only said, "Be careful, okay Ís?"

Ís nodded. "I will. But if I can manage to bump Haku off when we're off stealing, it'll be worth the risk. I'll just have to watch my own back. Haku can't be trusted to do it." She glanced out the window. "The sun's rising, Lin. Shouldn't you be going?"

"Yeah, I should leave." Lin stood up, yawning as she did so. "I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. Sleep well, Ís."

"Sweet dreams," Ís replied.

…..

That evening Ís, clad in her uniform, knives strapped to her body, stood next to Haku on Yubaba's balcony and waited for her to emerge.

When the witch strode out, the two apprentices bowed deeply to their master, then stood at attention, awaiting their orders. Yubaba appraised each of them, then said, "Keep each other safe. Haku, Ís, protect one another." The two nodded, their faces expressionless. Ís had perfected the mask years ago. Yubaba continued, "Your mission is to infiltrate the Radish Spirit's abode." Her tone became harsh and she snapped, "Ís, what do you know of the Radish Spirit?"

"He is not a powerful magician," Ís answered glibly, "but a collector of charms."

"Correct. He will have many enchantments guarding him." Yubaba paused and looked at Ís, eyes narrowed. "Fiery enchantments." Then the witch clapped her hands together and said, "Ís, Haku, the two of you will be stealing the skull of Xinhua. It allows the owner to communicate with anyone, as long as they bear a corresponding charm. You should find the charms inside the head — you will not return without them. And remember, take nothing else."

Ís and Haku nodded. Yubaba turned away, apparently satisfied in her apprentices, and drew her cloak around her. The witch morphed into a large, navy blue bird, a skill which, in all of her years at the bathhouse, Ís had never seen before.

At her side Haku transformed into a dragon. Ís clambered onto his back. After all, she would never dare ride Yubaba. Latching onto his horns, Ís mounted the dragon.

But he was not as docile as she had hoped, swaying beneath her and jumping into the air. They plummeted together. Ís' gut clenched and she was transported back to when she had experienced the same paralyzing fear. Someone, a stranger, flashed before her eyes — a redhead, Anna was her name, tumbled through the air and crashed to the ground, where she lay motionless. The vision puzzled Ís, but she pushed it to the corner of her mind. She had no time to dwell on the memory; she had a mission to complete. If she survived this fall.

When Haku was inches from the ground, he stretched out beneath her, wriggled like a fish, and they were soaring.

"Honestly, " Yubaba groused, flapping to their side. "That was unnecessary. You didn't have to show off to the girl." But Haku only grinned at the witch's reprimand, baring his gleaming teeth.

Looking at his canines, Ís shivered; she didn't fancy ever getting bit by those. Which was why, she reminded herself, that she was going to have to kill him. He'd need her help one day, but she wouldn't hesitate to stab him in the back.

Yubaba began flying into the sunset, and Haku followed. Meanwhile, Ís stared at the landscape beneath them, memorizing it; if she succeeded in offing Haku, she'd need to know the way home.

It wasn't a long flight, but by the time they'd landed Ís was shivering from the chill wind's icy caress. As soon as Haku landed on the forest's edge, she dismounted and began her basic forms to warm up her muscles. Haku, she noticed with a flash of jealousy, was unaffected by the cold. His apparent indifference to the weather only pushed her to exercise more vigorously.

When Yubaba landed before the two of them, Ís stopped and controlled her traitorous shivering. After all, as an Elemental, the cold was a part of her.

"I cannot go any further," the witch squawked, "else the Radish Spirit will sense me. From now on you two are on your own." The witch began to fly off. "Haku knows the way home."

Ís smiled, a small predatory smile, at those words. She, too, knew the way home.

…..

Together the two apprentices crept through the woods, each step bringing them closer to the Radish Spirit's home. When his bonsai garden was before them, glowing silver in the moonlight, and Ís on the verge of stepping into his yard, Haku threw out his arm. "Wait," he said. Then, bringing his fingers to his lips, he blew, scattering white cherry blossom over the convoluted sculptures. He looked at his work for a second, then nodded approvingly. "It's safe now." Haku strode into the garden and extended a hand to Ís. "The protection charms are disabled."

Ís followed him, touching the owl charm hanging around her neck. It was asleep, too. That did not bode well if she turned on him; still, she'd won their last fight, so she took the proffered hand without trembling in fear.

Hand in hand, the two navigated the Radish Spirit's garden, stepping around the gurgling streams and grotesquely shaped plants. Ís was certain it was much nicer in broad daylight, but for now it was spooky. Still, they were standing before a oak door faster than she'd thought possible. Haku pushed it, and it glided open on well-greased hinges. The silence was deafening.

Within the house was dark and decadent. The moonlight streaming through the windows providing the sole illumination, thick rugs muffled their footsteps, and Ís could hear the faint buzz of magic emanating from the hundreds of scrolls on rich mahogany bookshelves around them.

"We'll need to split up," she whispered. "Otherwise we'll never find the skull of Xinhua."

Haku nodded, his jade eyes unreadable in the gloom. "I'll look over there."

Ís rummaged through the Radish Spirit's belongings, not bothering to hide the evidence of her search. She tore through spells and scrolls until she reached a bookcase labelled _Healing Charms_. After looking surreptitiously around, she swept the charms off the shelves and stuffed them into her uniform's front pockets. Though she now had a pot-belly, it was worth it — these may save her life. Another glance at Haku reassured her that dragon-boy hadn't noticed her transgression. Relieved, Ís continued her search.

Finally, Ís found the skull of Xinhua, glinting and sitting alone a table. "Haku!" Ís called, as loudly as she dared. "I've found it!" Haku appeared, silent as a wraith, at her side. She handed him the skull. "Let's go."

"Not yet," he replied. "The charms aren't in here. We'll have to look for them. They can't be far." Sighing, Ís consented. The two of them split back up, scouring the surrounding area for the charms.

At least, Haku was searching for the charms. Ís was watching him with an almost predatory look in her eyes. The skull of Xinhua was powerful — it was possible that the Radish Spirit had put a trap on it, and Haku was carrying it on his person.

"I've found them!" Haku called, not looking up from the small bag he now had cradled in his hands. Grateful that he hadn't seen her watching him, Ís began picking her way over.

Suddenly, her breath caught. There, sitting across the floor from Haku, was a crab. The fire crab glowed golden in the gloom and was creeping up behind Haku. A faint clicking noise began; Haku only survive if she stopped the flames it was on the verge of spewing….

A heartbeat to decide. A split second to act. The time she'd spent with Haku flashed before her eyes — the quiet boy, the arrogant apprentice, the laughing dragon, and the serious partner-in-crime.

Ís knew what she had to do.

She shoved Haku out of the way, jumping before the flames. She couldn't condemn him to die; he wouldn't stand a chance against the magical flames, but she, with her Elemental powers, would.

Taking a deep breath, Ís emptied her mind; she was calm and collected as she created a wall of ice around her. The flames kept growing, trying to melt her cocoon, but Ís poured her strength into her powers. Yet she was so thirsty and so faint...

Ís collapsed onto the ground, not even aware of the incredible heat. Her skin was burning, melting, twisting, but she was too far gone to feel the pain.

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 _First off, I'm actually going to use this author's note to talk about myself a little…. Namely that I ate so much stuffing that I'm going to get diabetes….. Life is so awesome! :D I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, just like I did!_

 _Chapter Nine: Sickbed, will be up December 10th. (Two weeks)._

 _ **I love ElsaIs:**_ _I ship Chihiro/Haku. They're my OTP._

 _ **Elsa's Story Fan:**_ _Don't worry, I'm not offended. Everyone has their different opinions. And while "Of Pregnancy and Pigs" was an idea that I just_ _had_ _to put on paper, I also love Elsa's Story._

 _ **Screw Dull Canon:**_ _Sometimes danger and beauty go hand in hand…._

 _ **I love Lin a lot:**_ _I modelled Ís and Lin off of Chihiro and Lin, so it should look familiar._

 _ **skristallarIs:**_ _Yes, Ís does sound like ice. That's why I used it :)_

 _ **Love AnimeManga:**_ _To be clear, I took the break to focus on my schoolwork. With the semester ending over Christmas, I had to be certain that I was passing all of my classes. It wasn't because I was watching Once Upon a Time._

 _ **Chihiro and Haku:**_ _The rivalry between Ís and Haku is because of the control slug - it's making Haku very rude right now. So once it's gone, he'll be able to accept her. The only question is when it leaves….._

 _ **I like ElsaIs:**_ _Yes, Yubaba prefers the strong and emotionless Ís because that one will steal for her. That one is loyal. The emotional one might do something unpredictable._

 _Oh, and thank you, whoever you are, for heeding madamasharpless24601. I don't mind reviews detailing Elsa's awesomeness, but the constant criticism about Anna was really getting me down. Plus, I happen to enjoy Ískristallar_ _and am bffs with madamashapless, so the put-downs to her story were painful to read. I'm glad we're past that :)_


	9. Sickbed

**Chapter 9: Sickbed**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen._

When Ís came to, Lin was standing above her and clutching glowing healing charms.

Upon seeing the girl's eyes open, the spirit woman exclaimed, "Ís, what's going on? What happened? The entire bathhouse is abuzz with rumors of you and Haku — he carried you through the bathhouse, unconscious in his arms, calling for Yubaba! And you were covered with such terrible burns!" Lin paused, then added, "They're all saying that you two snuck away to kiss and other nonsense." Lin snorted. "Dumbos. He'd never be _my_ brother-in-law."

Ís would have felt like laughing along with the spirit woman, but she was too tired. She managed to crack a smile, though, and asked, "Lin where are the healing charms I stuffed down my shirt?"

"What healing charms?" Lin replied with a frown. "I didn't see any."

Ís' heart rate spiked . "No, no, no," she murmured, burying her head in her hands. "Yubaba can't know I disobeyed…"

A perfunctory knock sounded on the door.

Ís immediately hushed. Lin began to move to the door when it swung open on its own, revealing Kagwi. "Lady Lin, Ís." He bowed to the spirit woman, then to Ís. "May I come in?"

Ís opened her mouth, about to ask him to leave, when she saw the haunted look in his eyes. "Of course," she said warmly. "You are always welcome here."

Kagwi smiled and stepped in, gazing fondly at Ís. Then he cleared his throat. "Child," he began, laying a hand on her shoulder. "You were the daughter I never had. Strong-willed and fierce, you gave no quarter. It was impressive, especially for a human." He chuckled at Ís' aghast look. "Don't think I couldn't tell; you never fooled me, not for a second. I'm more perceptive than most."

His smile disappeared, though, as he continued, "Ís, I did not train you for petty thievery. I trained you for better things, for higher callings. And so I offer you a choice — do you want to come with me? I am going to flee this place. If you come, I will truly make you my daughter. I already have your contract here in my hands."

Ís was at a loss for words. "I- I- I'm….." she stammered. Finally, her eyes tearing up, she said firmly, "Thank you, Kagwi." She cast a look at Lin. "But I can't accept."

Lin shook her head. "Oh no you don't," she said, her eyes glinting. "Don't get all noble on us, Ís. You need to think of yourself, too. You have a beautiful, bright future ahead of you; don't you dare throw it away for me."

But Ís was adamant. "I'm not just doing it for you, Lin. I'm doing it for everyone in the bathhouse. I have a chance to save them, and I'd never forgive myself if I didn't take it." She looked up at Kagwi. "My apologies, sensei, but I cannot come with you." She dipped her head. "I am sorry."

Kagwi nodded. "I understand. If only we were all as noble and compassionate as you." He sighed. "Well, I'll leave your contract here. That way you'll always have the option to end your apprenticeship." He placed it on her bed and bowed, then turned and began walking to the door. "I wish you luck, Ís. May we meet again."

However, just as he was reaching for the handle, the door sprang open on its own accord, revealing a disgruntled witch.

"Yubaba….." Kagwi breathed. He sprang into action, dodging and ducking the witch's hurled spells. To Ís' immense surprise, her mentor evaded each and every offensive the witch threw at him. Still, since Yubaba blocked the door, Kagwi was trapped. So he raced past Ís' bed, threw open the door to the balcony, and jumped over the railing. "Goodbye!" he shouted.

There was a moment of silence. Then Lin ran to the railing and reported that his broken body lay below. Ís immediately discounted those words — the spirit woman was saying it for Yubaba's benefit.

But the witch seemed to believe them. She gestured for Haku, who'd been standing behind her, to enter the room and signalled for the spirit woman to leave. At her dismissal, Lin bowed low and left the room, leaving Ís alone to deal with the two magic-users.

"Ís," Yubaba said, "you're very lucky not to have scarred. The ice inside you must have been so strong that it helped quench the flames once your wall fell from exhaustion. You shouldn't have tired that quickly, but we'll work on your endurance. Still, you did well. You're perfectly healthy, and Haku saved you from any permanent damage." All while the witch spoke, Haku stood, his face unreadable, behind his master.

The witch's expressions softened. "Well done, Ís. You and Haku did well. I hope you realize that Haku can be trusted. After all, you two saved each other's lives."

Ís nodded, terrified of Yubaba's next words. Would she mention the healing charms? However, the witch only plucked the contract out of Ís' lap, then bustled out of the room.

But Haku didn't ghost after his master; instead, he walked to Ís' bedside. When the door clicked shut, he dropped a bundle in her lap. Then he stood there, watching.

Ís felt the weight of his stare as she opened the bag. Inside were the healing charms she'd stuffed down her shirt. She looked up at him, meeting his gaze, and said, "Thank you."

He nodded, then sat at the foot of the bed. Pinning his eyes on Ís, he stated, "The rumors flying around the bathhouse are lies."

Ís felt a blush staining her cheeks and neck a faint red. "Oh," was all she managed. That's good."

"Yes, it is. But I did pull you from the flames. You'd been in there for a couple of seconds — at first, I was shocked that you'd saved me. But when I regained my senses, I became a dragon, grabbed you, grabbed the skull, grabbed the charms and flew away. When I landed at the bathhouse, I took you Yubaba, obviously in human form. The worker saw that, sparking the rather inappropriate rumors."

Ís nodded, lying back on her pillows and soaking in the information. The room was silent, with nary a soul in sight. This was the perfect time to tell him what had been whizzing through her mind since she'd woke up.

Casting a quick, surreptitious glance around her, Ís beckoned Haku closer. He leant forward. Ís hissed, "You owe me life-debt, dragon boy. I saved your life back there."

Haku protested, "I saved your life back there too! I pulled you out of the flames!"

"Which I jumped into to save you. You owe me, Haku. And one day, I may decide to collect." Ís smirked. Her mission had gone better than she'd expected, even though she couldn't bring herself to kill Haku. A life-debt was useful, even if it wasn't as powerful as the slug itself.

Haku frowned. "I should never have pulled you from the flames then; I should have let you burn."

"You didn't have a choice," she replied. "You wouldn't have gone against Yubaba's orders." She sighed unconsciously; the control slug may have saved her, but she still hated how it'd transformed Haku into a puppet, just an extension of Yubaba's will.

"Ís?" Haku asked hesitantly, snapping Ís out of her reverie. "Are you okay? You seemed rather….lost."

Ís forced a smile. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied. "I guess I'm just a little tired.'

"That's to be expected. I'll go then, and let you rest." Haku left and, as he shut the door, Ís could hear his faint, murmured, "Sleep well." His footsteps had barely faded when the the door was thrown open with a resounding _bang_ and Lin came bounding in.

"I heard everything!" the spirit woman gushed. "So, when's the wedding?"

Ís rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Lin," she retorted. "Thanks for standing guard outside the door, but it would have been best if you hadn't listened in. I'll have you know that was a private conversation."

"All the better to eavesdrop on!" Lin rejoined. Then she lowered her voice. "Ís, explain this life-debt business to me. Does this mean that you'll be able to overthrow Yubaba now? Haku is bound to your side through this life-debt thing."

Ís shook her head. "No," she replied, "I'll still have to wait for the slug to wear off." At the spirit woman's confused expression, she hurried to elaborate, "The life-debt is weaker than the slug. When the slug is in control, like it would be if I was fighting Yubaba, then he'd be my enemy."

"Okay. Then what made you change your mind about letting him die then? I mean, you jumped in the way of the flames."

"I realized I couldn't sentence Haku to death. He was innocent; it's Yubaba's fault. So, when the time came, I had to jump in front of the flames." Ís shivered. "I'm glad the slug forced him to save me; I'd completely forgotten about it when I stopped the fire crab." She sighed. "I should be fine for the next missions. The control slug is reliable, and when it begins to wear off, the life debt will prod him into action. I'm pretty sure there's a protection clause in it somewhere."

"Well, either way, I'm glad it's worked out," Lin answered. "I was really worried about you — you were so cold and emotionless Ís, and I was scared you'd try and act like that old witch and condemn Haku to die. Spirits can be like that."

Ís' eyes hardened at the spirit woman's insinuations. "Humans are cruel and cold as well," she stated. "My parents were. But I'm not a human. And I'm not a spirit. I don't know what I am yet, but stop."

Lin nodded. "Fine," she replied. Then, glancing at the bag in Ís' lap, she said, "Let me take those healing charms and put them somewhere safe."

Ís nodded. "Maybe you could keep them in your room?" Ís suggested. "I know my chambers are searched, since I'm Yubaba's apprentice."

Lin frowned. "I share one big room with twenty other bathhouse employees, slug spirits the lot of them. There's no privacy there. I think it'd be best if I gave it to Kamaji. No one really goes into the boiler room, and he could hide it under all those herbs."

"Whatever you think is best, Lin," Ís replied. "I trust you." She yawned loudly. "I should be resting. Good night Lin."

Lin came up to Ís, picked up the bag of healing charms which lay across her midriff and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, Ís. You've got a heavy burden to bear, freeing us all, but you'll succeed. I just know it."

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 _Chapter Ten will be posted December 24th. Christmas Eve posting! It'll be extra long, too, in celebration of the holidays._

 _ **Chihiro fanbases:**_ _I adore Chihiro. And there'll be stories featuring her in the Frozen x Spirited Away archive. Just give it some time. With school, it's impossible for madamasharpless24601 and I to do as much writing as we want._

 _ **The Elsa Lovers:**_ _Yubaba's not like Elsa's mother. Yubaba's her master. If anyone's Elsa's mother-figure, it's Lin._

 _ **Love the Malfoys:**_ _Please, it's really quite rude to post stories in reviews. For me and for others. Reviews are meant to provide feedback for the writer, not hold someone else's stories. If you want to post stories (which I'd recommend), get an account! And when you have an account, you can get favourites, follows, and reviews for your stories. It's tons of fun. Plus, you can PM people and make friends :) So, if you're going to write stories, don't put them in the reviews section. Get an account, and post from there!_

 _ **Screw Dull Canon:**_ _There's something attractive about danger, since it's forbidden. And that attraction makes it beautiful. At least, that's how it works for me. It doesn't have to be the same for you, or for anyone else._

 _ **Best Fictional:**_ _I've never met madamasharpless24601 in person. But we've been PM-ing for ages, so I'd say we know each other quite well :)_

 _ **I like Elsa/Is:**_ _Yubaba treats everyone in the bathhouse horribly, including Lin. So Ís has to try and protect her 'sister'. So no, Ís isn't really loyal to Yubaba._


	10. The Human Girl

**Chapter Ten: The Human Girl**

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen or Spirited Away. They'd make a stellar Christmas present, though ;)_

After her recovery, Ís' nights were dominated by training. Her visits to the library were cut short, and her freedoms curtailed. She rarely found time to visit Lin between her training and missions. As a result, Yubaba's collection of magical items grew and grew that year. Everything had a story: when Ís tripped an alarm, when Haku was transformed into a blob and Ís salvaged the mission, when they couldn't identify the artifact and spent an hour puzzling over the safe, and more.

Life regained its usual, dull pattern. Haku remained distant, and Ís continued biding her time for the control slug to wear off. Her birthday came and went with only a small celebration with Lin — Ís was now thirteen, and assumed she would spend the rest of her apprenticeship stealing.

However, when Ís and Haku returned from their mission under the river, their entire world was thrown into a disarray.

Haku had been injured; the otter spirit had sent a tree flying at him. It'd rammed into the dragon's head, and Ís was convinced he was still seeing stars. So once the two landed in the village, Ís dismounted and Haku shimmered back into his human form. They began to walk back to the bathhouse, Haku still moaning and clutching his head, when he suddenly froze. "I smell humans," he stated. "Ís, do you smell it? It reeks."

Ís took a deep breath and immediately understood how Lin had known she was a human that first night. The air was laden with a cloying, musty odor. "It's coming from that stall," Ís said, pointing to where food for the spirits was laid out in a tempting array. It didn't surprise her the greedy humans had eaten it.

"Leave them. They're already pigs." Haku answered, his eyes narrowed as he stared at something beyond Ís' head. "But there's a human on the bridge. It's at the entrance of the bathhouse."

Ís spun around, spotting the small figure on the bridge. "We should neutralize it before it stinks up the entire bridge. Yubaba would be angry." Ís shivered.

Haku nodded, and the two of them raced to the bridge. Standing on one side of it, leaning over the railing to watch the train go by, was a human girl. She wore an ugly green-and-white striped shirt, pink shorts, and clunky yellow shoes. The human was young and ugly and reeked.

However, when Haku caught sight of her, he froze.

"Haku!" Ís cried in frustration. "Come on! I know you're injured, but we have a job to do." She grabbed his arm and dragged him forward. The human didn't deserve to die, and Ís was reluctant to do it alone.

But Haku shrugged out of her grip, still staring at the girl before them. "I don't know how to describe it…" he murmured, his eyes wide and his hair slowly rising.

But Ís began to pull her powers toward her. If she waited any longer, she'd be unable to harm the human, and then Yubaba would kill them both. A white-blue nimbus grew around her, and the human turned, attracted to the light. Ís was about to blast her into a statue when Haku suddenly regained his senses. He lunged at Ís, shoving her to the side. Ís' head whammed against one of the bridge rails, and her ice power dissipated. Haku had caught her completely off guard. She sat up slowly, cradling her throbbing head and moaning, "Why?"

But Haku didn't answer, instead casting a quick paralysis charm on her. Ís could only watch as he strode to the girl, grabbed her hand, and shouted, "You shouldn't be here! Get out of here! Now!"

"What?" the human asked, staring at Haku with wide eyes, clearly taken aback.

"It's almost night," Haku answered, his tone heavy with foreboding. "Leave, before it gets dark." He shoved the human girl across the bridge. "They're lighting the lamps. Get out of here. You have to get across the river. Go! I'll distract them!" Then he turned and blew petals over the bridge, over the bathhouse, and over Ís.

…

When Ís awoke, she was lying on the bridge, a frantic frog-spirit shaking her. When he saw that her eyes were open, he cried, "Mistress Ís! Are you okay? You were lying here unconscious!"

Ís ignored the frog spirit, too busy trying to reconstruct what had happened. Her last memories were of Haku and a human… the puzzle pieces clicked together. Brushing off the frog's insistent requests that she go inside and rest, Ís began to walk towards the river, only stopping when she realized the frog spirit would report her to the witch. "Don't leave this spot," she instructed him. "Greet the spirits as they enter."

The frog nodded, clearly upset. Ís was certain he wanted to follow her so that he could provide juicy gossip to the other bathhouse workers, but her authority was sufficient. He began to greet the spirits streaming across the bridge. However, when Ís tried to melt into the shadows and hurry to the river, the frog spirit hissed out of the corner of his mouth, "Hey, shouldn't you be going to see Yubaba?"

Ís stifled a groan. She burned to know what this human was to Haku, but it seemed that duty called. "Yes," she replied. "I'll go to Yubaba." Ís placed her hand over her pocket, as if to ascertain that the breathing-charm were still there, though in reality she was fingering the small, ornate bell Yubaba had given her years ago. She might need it tonight. Then, Ís hurried to the witch's study.

When she arrived, Yubaba was already waiting, a noxious cloud of smoke surrounding her desk. "Well, girl?" the witch demanded. "Where's my bauble?" Ís bit her tongue. She and Haku had risked their lives for the breathing-charm. But Ís still handed it over, feeling a surge of disgust when the witch's eyes gleamed with greed. Then Ís turned to go, ready to find the human girl; however, Yubaba snapped, "Ís. I did not dismiss you." Ís froze, spinning around to face the witch. "There are two pigs wreaking havoc in the food stalls. They must be dealt with."

"I will, Master," she replied, hoping Yubaba wouldn't punish her for her impertinence. She bowed. "May I go?"

Yubaba nodded.

…

Ís cursed as she strode to the food stalls. The stupid, greedy humans that had turned into pigs had ruined any chance she'd had of discovering more about the human girl and Haku. Turning the matter over in her mind, Ís was once again struck by how powerful Haku's reaction to that human had been. He'd actually protected her and helped her escape - in her entire experience with Haku, Ís had never seen him so selfless. He'd been cold and cruel and completely under Yubaba's thumb. This change was promising. Still, though, before Ís could act against Yubaba, she needed to understand more about Haku and his slug.

Gritting her teeth, she strode towards the animals lying on the ground. The owners of the food stall had whipped them off their food, but they weren't willing to get rid of them. Which was where Ís came in. Summoning her powers, she created a hulking snow creature to carry the pigs to the pigpens. Golems were an advanced Elemental Power, but one she'd mastered recently under Yubaba's watchful eye. Ís walked behind her golems, ignoring the awestruck stares from the nearby spirits. Let them honor her and fear her. They should. She was an Elemental.

Once the pigs were delivered to the pig pens, the golems turned to an icy sludge and Ís ran to the riverside. Maybe Haku and the human girl would still be there.

But her hopes were dashed when she arrived and saw nothing but the night ferry, offloading its usual stream of customers. She combed the riverside anyways, but she found nothing except the faintest whiff of human. Using her nose, Ís followed the smell. It ended at the bathhouse, though, where the scent mingled with so many others that she could no longer follow the trail. Heaving a sigh of frustration, Ís hurried to the upper levels. Maybe someone there had seen Haku. However, she was immediately accosted by one of the token distributors, who insisted she force Kamaji to make more herbal soaks. There weren't enough. And, though Ís wasn't anyone's servant, she went to the boiler; otherwise, Yubaba would hear of her behaviour, and that was something Ís wished to avoid. As she hurried to the boiler room, Ís cursed the token man roundly. He'd ruined her chance to find Haku or the human.

But once Ís pulled back Kamaji's sliding panel, she thanked the token distributor with all her heart, for standing there was the human girl.

She crawled in. "Kamajii," she said accusingly, "what are you doing? She's a human, and should be reported to Yubaba." She didn't even acknowledge the girl's existence.

"Ís, I thought you of all people would understand," Kamaji replied. "She's a human, and she needs a job to survive here. Will you help her?"

Is stared at the girl Thoughts fluttered through her mind: this human girl had neutralized Haku's control slug, but was it worth it to help her? If Yubaba discovered she'd turned traitor, Ís was as good as dead.

Finally, her thoughts settled. A smile grew on her face; she knew how to proceed. Her hand plunged into her pocket and pulled out a small, stylized, ornate bell. "I'll help her, Kamaji," Is reassured the spider spirit. She rang the bell, enjoying its clean, clear peal. "Or rather, Lin will."

Llin appeared two minutes later. "What's so urgent?" the spirit woman asked, irritated. "Honestly, I was in the middle of tending to a customer, and your bell rang. It hurt my essence when I tried to avoid coming! Now I owe Linca two chicken feet and a…" the spirit woman's complaints trailed off though, as she realized who was in the room. The human girl.

Sensing her chance, Ís hurried to explain, "Lin, she needs a job."

Lin shook her head vehemently. "Oh no," she stated, "I'm not sticking my neck out that far for a human. The whole bathhouse is looking for her, and I'm not going to be caught helping her. Oh no, find someone else."

"Please, Lin." Ís looked at the spirit woman imploringly. "This means a lot to me, and not just because she's a human." She raised her eyebrows, hoping Lin would trust her. The situation couldn't be explained, not here.

"Fine," the spirit woman said grudgingly. "I'll help the human."

The human, who had hitherto been silent, smiled and bowed to both women. "Thank you," she murmured.

Kamaji, who'd seemed surprised by the exchange, looked at Lin with a critical eye. Then he said, "Lin, here. I've been saving this but, as my thanks for helping this human child, have my roasted newt. I hope this brings you luck."

Lin snatched the treat, stuffing it into her shirt. "Thanks, boiler man," she said. "I'll be needing it." Then she gestured at the human and the two of them left, the girl trailing behind Lin.

Ís smiled. The human girl owed her, and she'd best remember. Yubaba's time may be drawing to a close.

…

Once Lin and the human left, Ís followed swiftly. She was asking Lin to take a big risk, so Ís would try cover for her. Ís watched the two of them catch an elevator, then ran the other way and shouted, "Is that the human?"

The bathhouse froze and glanced around; however, Ís had already melted into the shadows. A hubbub grew as the workers searched, overturning the baskets of fish and rickety wooden tables. Ís smiled from underneath the stairwell. With luck, the commotion would distract people from the human girl and Lin, who were hurrying to Yubaba's study.

Her smile disappeared, though, as she puzzled over what the girl signified. The human girl was quite a conundrum. Haku had acted against the slug to save her. He'd shown compassion and empathy, something Ís had thought had disappeared the day he'd downed the slug. Something she hadn't thought she'd see for years, when the slug finally died.

It was odd and yet, it would seem, this unremarkable human girl would lead to Yubaba's fall. Ís knew she was stronger than the witch. Haku was the one holding her back, for combined, he and Yubaba would destroy her. But if Haku were removed from the equation or, even better, put on her side, the witch's reign would end.

Satisfied, Ís left the darkness of the stairwell and climbed to Yubaba's study. She still hadn't seen Haku since he'd betrayed her, and she wanted to watch the human stand up to Yubaba.

But when she was outside the door, her hand raised to rap on the knocker, Haku, the human girl in tow, strode through and knocked Ís aside. From the steely glint in his eye, Ís assumed he was under the control slug's spell; Yubaba must have given him an order. Falling into step with him, Ís asked, "Would you put the human with Lin?" Hopefully, the girl wouldn't bristle; they had to act as if they'd never met before.

"Why should I?" he snorted. The human hadn't looked up yet; she must understand. "I'm not going to punish Lin for something she did to offend you."

Ís wanted to throw her hands up in frustration, but she knew she couldn't. Haku was at his worst, she had to convince him to listen, and in this game emotions were weaknesses. The human girl had to go with Lin. Ís had to succeed. Otherwise, it'd be impossible to discover more about dragon boy."Please?" she added. "For me?"

"No," Haku replied, his face stony. "I'm not going to, Ís. Forget it. I'll assign her to who I think is best. Yubaba didn't give you this job."

Ís bit back a curse. "Fine," she hissed, fixing him with a baleful glare. "I cash my life-debt. Assign the human to Lin."

She watched his face twitch with almost vicious pleasure as they left the elevator, moving to the workers' quarters. Haku regained his cold demeanor before they entered the room, but Ís knew he was struggling to rein in his temper. Once he was collected, he threw open the doors and called out, "This human is an employee of Yubaba." A chorus of groans arose from the other workers.

The yunas, waving their sleeve before their faces, complained, "She'll stink up the whole place. We don't want her."

"Three days of eating our food and her smell will go away," Haku retorted, fixing the female spirits with an icy stare. "And if she doesn't work hard, roast her, boil her, do whatever you want." It may have sounded cruel, but Ís saw the flickering in his eyes, and heard the smallest quaver in his voice. "Now get back to work." Haku scanned the room, then snapped, "Where's Lin?"

"What?" the spirit woman exclaimed from where she'd been leaning on the door-frame, as far from the other spirits as she could possibly be. "Don't you dare dump her on me."

"You said you wanted an assistant."

"That's perfect; give the girl to Lin," a male employee sneered. From the shadows, Ís made note of him — she'd have him punished later for mocking Lin, though he'd never know why he was assigned the hardest, nastiest jobs.

"Oh, great," Lin groaned. Ís heard the mock-anguish in her voice, but she was certain no one else could. After all, no one else knew Lin as well as she did, and no one else would guess the importance of this human. So the girl would be in competent hands, with none the wiser.

"Sen, get going," Haku snapped.

"Right!' Sen started, then ran to Lin, who was already storming out of the room, muttering a steady stream of complaints.

Satisfied, Ís hurried back to her room. It would never do for Yubaba to discover that she was so interested in the fate of the one human girl. The witch would be quite suspicious. She'd have to trust Lin to keep the human girl, Sen, safe.

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 _Hope you guys enjoyed the extra-long chapter! I was having trouble dividing it, so I settled for making Chapter 10 extra fat XD. On another note, these next couple chapters are so epic that I couldn't divide them either._

 _Next update will be December 26th. Christmas day is a time for family, but the day after is fair game :)_

 _And I'm sorry, but I can't respond to guest reviews! I've got family visiting, and they're monopolizing the computers._


	11. Sen

**Chapter 11: Sen**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen._

That morning, after a long night of work, when the entire bathhouse was sleeping, Lin crept up to Ís' room. Without knocking, she opened the door. Ís was already awake, waiting for the spirit woman. She stopped sharpening her knives, placing them and the whetstone back in their box. After putting that on her desk, she sat cross-legged on the ground.

"Ís," Lin drawled, "You owe an explanation." She lay on the futon, sprawled like a cat. "Why was it so important that I help the human? And why did you arrange it so that she was assigned to _me_?"

Ís gave a secretive smile. "The human girl is the key," she answered. "She has a powerful effect on Haku. Earlier, when I tried to freeze her, Haku fought me _against Yubaba's orders_ to help her escape."

Lin sucked in a breath. "You're right," she replied. "This could change everything."

"She seems to be able to negate the control slug's effect on Haku. She's the catalyst Lin — we'll overthrow Yubaba soon!" A floorboard outside of the room squeaked, and Ís thought she heard a muffled gasp. "Who's there?" she called, jumping to her feet and readying her powers. Whoever it was would have to be dealt with swiftly; this conversation was deadly. "Show yourself!"

The door opened with a slow _creak_ , revealing a young girl. The human girl. She offered a quick, guilty smile and a quiet, "I'm sorry."

Ís was ready to punish the human for having dared spy on them, but Lin patted the futon and and said, "Have a seat, Sen. We're just gossiping. Feel free to join in."

The girl, Sen, sat down, her cheeks still flushed a faint red. "Thank you."

Lin continued, as if nothing had happened, "Haku's s shaking off the slug's effects. Earlier, Sen told me that it seemed there were two Hakus. Right, Sen?"

The human girl nodded. "Yes, there was the one who fought you," a quick look at Ís, "and kept me from being transparent and helped me find my way to Kamaji. He was nice. But then there was the one in the study who was cold and made me address him as 'Master Haku'. That was the mean one."

Ís frowned. It seemed Sen could only affect Haku when he wasn't under the control slug's direct orders. She then asked the girl, since she may not have another chance, "How do you know Haku?"

"I don't know," Sen replied, shaking her head. "I've never seen him."

"But he seems to recognize you," Ís countered. "How can that be?"

"I don't know!" she answered. "I have no idea how he knows me. I've never seen him before in my life!"

"Oh, leave the girl alone, Ís," Lin interjected. "It's not her fault that dragon-boy has a thing for her. It's love at first sight," the spirit woman finished sarcastically.

Ís sighed. "But it's not as if I can exactly go up to Haku and ask him why he's fixated on Sen."

At this point Sen, her cheeks flaming, cried, "He doesn't like me! There's no way.

Ís gazed at the human girl, then said, "There must be something. Sen, would you promise me that you'll think about how he recognized you? There must be a reason. Just think about it, okay?"

Sen nodded. "Fine, but I doubt I'll remember anything. Haku's just a very nice spirit who wants to help me find my parents and get them back in the human form."

"That's right!" Ís exclaimed. "Your parents were those pigs that I disposed of." She immediately winced, realizing her poor word choice. "I know what you're thinking, but it was nothing bad. I had my golems carry them to the pig pens. I could even show you, if you wanted — though there are spells over the pens, so I wouldn't go there alone."

"Okay," Sen replied. "Could we go now?"

Ís frowned. "Probably not. There's still too many spirits bustling around, taking care of last-minute things before they sleep. We'd have to do it later."

"Okay." Sen slumped over, resting her head in her hands. "I'll see my parents later," she sighed. "I just hope they're okay."

Ís yawned. It had been a long day, and 'liberating' magical items was exhausting. "I don't mean to be rude," she began, "but it's getting late. How about we all turn in?"

Lin nodded. "I know what you mean. I've got a long shift tomorrow and I've had a long shift today. I need some rest." Her eyes raked over Sen, and Ís' did as well, both of them taking in the girl's slender legs and uncalloused hands. "You'll want to rest and prepare for tomorrow too, Sen. Your first day is going to hurt."

As Lin left the room, Sen took a little time to bow once more to Ís and murmur, "Thank you again for saving me from Yubaba's powers. I'll think hard about Haku, I promise." Then she ran after Lin, who was waiting in the elevator, keeping the doors open for her assistant. Lin and Sen waved at Ís, then the elevator doors shut and the two disappeared.

Ís stood in her doorway for just a little while longer, smiling. She had influence over the human girl who had Haku tied in knots. She was on her way. Yubaba had best be careful — before the witch knew it, she, Ís, would free the entire bathhouse.

With those pleasant thoughts in her mind, Ís cuddled under her blankets and fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

…

Someone was shaking Ís awake much too early. The first thought to run through her dazed mind was that it was an assassination attempt. Ís should have realized it was only a matter of time before Haku turned on her. Throwing one arm out, Ís began to draw upon her powers, stopping only when she realized it was Lin. "What?" Ís asked grumpily. Her futon was quite comfortable, and she was at a loath to leave it. Still, she sat up, rubbing her eyes and regarding the spirit woman.

"It's Sen," Lin said, worry evident in her voice. "She's disappeared. I woke up and she was gone."

Ís stifled a curse, climbing out of bed and beginning to pull on her clothes. She couldn't afford to lose the girl now. "Where could she be?"

"I don't know. I've already checked the servant's quarters. I'm afraid that she went to the pig pens. She wouldn't stop talking about her parents last night."

"If she's there, she's likely triggered Yubaba's detection charm." Ís fastened her uniform and began pulling her hair up into a high bun. "Lin, go back to bed and cover for Sen. I'll find her. I can neutralize the charm."

Ís glanced at Lin out of the corner of her eyes — for all of her authoritative tone, she had been worried Lin would protest, and time was of the essence. However, the spirit woman only planted a kiss on Ís' forehead, saying, "Just be careful. I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt because I wasn't watching Sen closely enough."

Ís nodded. "I'll be careful," she promised. Then she began hurrying down to the pig pens. The human could still ruin everything. If Yubaba caught her, this would be a disaster.

When Ís arrived at the pig pen, she heard muffled sobs from beyond the bushes. Immediately her pace slowed, and she took care with where she stepped. Whatever was going on, it wouldn't be good to interrupt. Creeping through the hedges, Ís spotted Yubaba's detection charm. She raised on hand to freeze it, but it wasn't buzzing. Confused, Ís drew nearer and realized it was already disabled.

Interesting. Only herself, Haku, and Yubaba had that power. After freezing the detection charm for good measure, Ís peered around the hedge.

The sight which greeted her eyes astounded her. Across the field, sitting against a flowering hedge, sobbing quietly, was Sen. Haku sat next to her, offering rice cakes and silent support. Ís must have made a sound, because he looked up, his jade eyes unreadable, and said softly, patting the ground beside him in a clear invitation, "Come on over."

Ís swallowed hard. This kind Haku unsettled her. But still, she picked her way across the field and squatted next to Sen, who had begun shoveling rice cakes into her mouth and bawling. Surprising Ís once again, Haku patted the human girl's shoulders and murmured, "It's going to be okay, Chihiro. We'll rescue your parents." He sent Ís a meaningful look

Hastily clearing her throat, Ís replied, "I'll be there for you." She grabbed Sen's hands, holding them tight in her own, and tears began to form in her eyes. "We'll save your parents — you'll be a real family again."

Haku turned to look sharply at her, likely surprised by quaver in her voice, but he said nothing. However, he did give Ís' hand a quick squeeze, as if in a silent show of support. Hope sprung in Ís' breast and she said, "We'll do this together. The three of us."

They stayed like that for quite a while, simply there, understanding one another, until Haku reached behind him and took out a stack of clothes. He shattered the spell that had been cast between them, and Ís woke as if from a trance. After glancing at the shadows, she groaned and remarked, "Haku, it's getting late".

Haku turned. When he noticed how far the sun was from the meridian, he jumped up and cried, "We have to go. Now, before Yubaba comes. The spell I cast on the detector will have worn off…."

Ís got to her feet as well. "Don't worry. When I came in, I made sure to freeze it to the ground."

"Oh." Haku calmed. Then, squinting at the sun once more, he said, "We should probably still be going. It's getting late."

Ís nodded, even though she didn't want to shatter still the strange bond that had formed between her, Haku, and Sen. She got up, helping pull Sen to her feet, and then the three of them left the pig pens.

Before they crossed the bridge, Haku flashed Ís and Chihiro a regretful smile. "This is where I have to leave," he said, glancing at Ís. "Take her back, will you?"

"Of course," Ís replied. "I'll keep Sen safe."

"Good." He squeezed Sen's hand, then pulled away from the two girls and began walking back towards the pig pens.

"Wait! Haku!" Sen let go of Ís' hand and ran to the boy. She caught his arm, turned him to face her, and asked, "When can I see my parents again?"

"I don't know, Chihiro," Haku replied. "But we can go again soon. Just never go alone, or Yubaba's detection charms will catch you. And then you'll be a pig, just like them."

Sen nodded. "I understand." She gave Haku a deep bow. "Thank you, Haku." Then, after murmuring, "Come back soon," she hurried to the bridge, where Ís was waiting.

When Sen had rejoined her, and Haku was naught but a silver speck In the distance, Ís turned to the human girl and asked, "Why does Haku keep calling you Chihiro?"

Sen flushed. "It's my real name," she mumbled. "I was Chihiro before Yubaba stole my name and made me Sen. Haku helped remember."

Ís nodded. "You're very lucky, then, to have regained your true name. I won't tell anyone about it." Jealousy flared in her heart — she wished she had her true name, so that she could truly be free.

"Thank you," Chihiro answered. "And I remembered something about Haku. I've known him since I was very little, though I still can't quite remember why."

Ís sighed. "Well, that's a start," she replied. "Let's go back to bed and get a little more sleep. Maybe you'll remember more after a nap." The two of them crossed the bridge, and Ís' hackles raised when she saw a strange figure there, tall and black and wearing a strange mask. She raised her free hand, but it didn't attack her, and when Ís looked back, it had vanished.

Strange. Ís looked at Chihiro to see if she, too, had seen the spirit. The human girl was staring at the same spot where the spirit had disappeared. Ís elbowed her. "You saw it too?" she asked.

"What?" Chihiro startled. "Oh, yes." She turned back around to stare at the same spot. "That was weird."

"It was," Ís replied. "I've never seen a spirit like that before." The two of them entered the bathhouse, creeping in through the boiler room. Sen was so exhausted that she almost fell asleep in Kamaji's room, but Ís kept her going. Finally, they reached the yuna's room. With a quiet smile, Chihiro slipped her hand out of Ís' as she crept back into the room. Lin's tense form relax as Sen entered — Ís gave a tiny wave which Lin didn't notice. Realizing that there was nothing left to do, Ís turned and left. She was exhausted, and her bed called to her.

On the lonely elevator ride up to her room, Ís contemplated her situation. Haku was opening up, losing his cold, stony indifference. She found herself strangely happy for the human girl, for her

family would be restored, unlike Ís' own family, who'd never return. She wanted to see Anna, though; she wanted to see the girl she'd sacrificed so much for. And who knew, maybe one day she could reconcile with her parents.

Ís pushed away the thoughts as she stepped into her room. She couldn't keep thinking of her family — Anna was a luxury, something to dream of. First, she had to overthrow Yubaba. Then she could go home.

She needed to focus on the here and now. Turning over Chihiro's cryptic remark in her head — she knew Haku from long ago, but didn't know why — Ís still couldn't understand it. She was stumped, and her head felt as if it were stuffed with cotton from the lack of sleep. Her eyes were too dry and scratchy.

Ís didn't even bother shrugging out of her outer robe before she fell onto her bed and fell asleep.

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 _Family still here. No computer time for me. Good thing phones can still post fanfiction. But responding to guest reviews is tricky. So I'll just say — thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying this._

 _Other than that, nothing to say but the next update is the 29th. Three days! And I hope you guys had a Merry Christmas! :)_


	12. The Stink Spirit

**Chapter Twelve: The Stink Spirit**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen or Spirited Away, even though I routinely butcher their songs. (Can y'all sing along to an instrumental? I can!)_

Ís awoke to an empty room and the _pitter patte_ r of rain. Blinking, she let her eyes adjust to the light, then moved to light a few candles as she _tsked_ impatiently. Where was Lin? The spirit woman had never been this late before.

Suddenly, it all came back to her. The human girl on the bridge and Haku's obvious affection for her — Lin was helping Sen adjust to the bathhouse. With a small sigh of irritation, Ís drew her own bath and dressed herself. Though she understood why Lin was gone, she still missed the spirit woman's constant, reassuring presence. The morning routine felt so wrong without Lin, who'd been with her now for over five years.

When Ís was finally dressed, her wet hair loose, not braided by Lin's capable fingers, she hurried to Yubaba's balcony. The witch was due to return soon, and Ís had to greet her when she landed.

Her face blank, she waited for Yubaba. The sun set, slowly lowering itself below the horizon, and the sky darkened from pale blue to deep indigo. When the sun's last rays were extinguished and twilight held the world in its tender embrace, the witch returned. Her bird-form flew in from the west, flanked by the small bird-puppet that Ís had come to hate. The two landed, not even acknowledging Ís' presence.

This was a bad sign. When the witch refused the speak, she was always upset, and that never boded well for the bathhouse. However, Ís remained silent, bowing as Yubaba took off her magical cloak and following the witch as she strode into the bathhouse. Ís drew the door shut, then stood at attention before the witch, who'd collapsed into her plush chair. Yubaba had not yet dismissed her, and she'd only made the mistake of leaving without permission once.

To Ís' dismay, the witch didn't dismiss her. Instead, she proceeded to gripe to the girl, "At the convention, Zeniba dared approach me and insinuate she was more powerful! Everyone else agreed. Supposedly, she's managed to unlock her solid gold seal, and now it's one of the most powerful items in the world. It's a good thing Haku is already scoping out her house — the mission's been moved up. You'll be stealing from her soon. My own sister, betraying me and mocking my lack of magical power….."

Ís gritted her teeth. If Yubaba was jealous of her sister's abilities, there were bound to be more missions for her and Haku in the future. Dangerous, deadly missions. And just from listening to Yubaba describe her enemies' catty remarks and subtle slights, it was clear that they suspected something was afoot. Their defenses were probably well-reinforced.

But still Ís bit her tongue and refrained from contradicting the witch as she enumerated the various robberies she'd command. After all, if Sen lifted the slug's effect from Haku, these missions may never come to pass.

Finally, Yubaba finished her rant. "Zeniba will learn not to cross me. Without her golden seal, she is nothing compared to me." Ís tensed, afraid the witch would assign the mission right then and there. However, Yubaba only sighed, lay back in her plush chair, and said, "Ís, tonight your job is to protect the bathhouse. While flying back, I detected something strange, something foreign. I don't know what it is. It's not very powerful, but there are waves of hunger radiating off it. It could be problematic. Track down this mystery spirit and bring it to me."

Ís nodded, bowing low before Yubaba. Her tone neutral, she asked, "Am I dismissed, master?"

"Yes, yes, you are dismissed." Yubaba waved Ís away, picked up a ballpoint pen, put on her eyeglasses, and pulled a stack of paperwork toward her. As Ís walked away, she could hear the witch mutter, "Honestly, I was only gone for one day! This is ridiculous…."

…

Her pocket vibrated, startling Ís. Only the bell for Lin resided there, along with a charm for the skull of Xinhua… Yubaba never used that, though, unless there was an emergency. Her throat suddenly dry, she fumbled with her pocket, finally managing to bring the charm to her ear.

"Yes?" she answered. "What is it?"

"Ís, abandon your search. We have a larger problem on our hands." Yubaba sounded frantic, and in the background Ís could hear things clanking and thumping, as if the witch were ransacking her room for magical artifacts. "There's a powerful spirit coming. I think it's a stink spirit, but I'm not quite sure. Either way though, it needs to be stopped."

"I'll do so." Ís began hurrying to the bridge. "What do you want me to do?"

"Freeze it, ice it, anything. Just keep it out of the bathhouse."

"Understood." Ís had arrived at the bridge. Below, the town's lights were already off. A dank wind blew, carrying on it a low moan and a hint of decay, while the rain fell in great sheets, drenching the male employees who were already on the bridge, waving paper lanterns and shouting. Ís stood behind them, soaked as well, her powers ready.

She didn't have to wait long. A figure shambled towards them, putrid sludge sliding off its form. The lantern waving intensified, but the spirit was unaffected; it gave only a low groan, breathing a purple mist over the bridge guards. All of them, including Ís, stiffened. The frog even keeled over in a dead faint.

The stink spirit — Ís had no doubt about it now — plodded onward until it towered before her, a veritable mountain of mud. Gritting her teeth, Ís blinked, clearing her watering eyes, and steadied herself. _I can't fail, I can't fail, I can't fail,_ ran through her mind. She brought her hands up, shaped a glowing, icy disc, and hurled it at the spirit.

It howled in pain as her magic hit, a cry which stopped as Ís' ice began to grow, coating it in a thick, heavy layer. When it was finally immobilized by her clear ice, Ís sighed and relaxed. She tapped the ice, smiled, and said, "Well, you've been taken care of. Yubaba will be pleased." Then she turned to go, oblivious to the monster's beady black eyes following her as she walked away.

Behind her, there was the sound of the gunshot. Ís spun. Startled, she saw the monster's sludge exploding outward until it was free of its icy prison. Her mind raced for a way to salvage the situation, but before she could act, a ropy, muddy arm shot out to grab her.

Ís' managed to dodge. She danced out of the way of three more pseudopods before a wall of sludge streamed at her, pushing her off the bridge. She fell, landing on the water with a resounding splat and sinking beneath the surface. Automatically, she took a breath, inhaled the monster's sludge instead of air, and fell unconscious in the turbulent waters.

…..

When Ís came to, she was lying in the garden, hovered over by two employees and the frog spirit. Upon seeing her eyes open, the frog spirit exclaimed, "Mistress Ís! Are you okay?"

Ís sat up, ignoring both their panicked looks and their insistence that she lay back down. "I'm fine," she replied. Her head ached, she felt as if there was still water in her lungs, but she'd survive. "Where's the stink spirit?"

The frog swallowed hard and mumbled, "It's in the bathhouse."

"What?" Ís' eyes shot open. "You let it enter?"

"W-we had no choice, Mistress. It swept past us, tossing us into the water. We're lucky that it'd rained so much, or else we would have died. Once we were out of the way, it entered the bathhouse."

Ís sighed, then stood and walked to the door of the bathhouse. "I hope you know that there will be consequences for our failure," she frostily informed them. She slid the door shut behind her.

To her surprise, the interior of the bathhouse was deserted. But, off in the distance, there were… cheers? Hurrying to the railing, Ís looked down to see chaos. The Stink Spirit was in the Big Tub, a rope tied to him. Sen and Lin were next to him, and the other employees heaved at the rope. What was going on?

As she watched, a bicycle, plastic bags, broken glass bottles, an oil drum and other trash came streaming out of the spirit, coming to rest on the clean hardwood floor. When the bath water, which came cascading from the tub, touched the trash, the foamy water changed to a dirty brown colour.

Her nose wrinkled in disgust, Ís looked away, and her gaze landed upon the Big Tub. Ís noticed with a sudden stab of concern that Sen had disappeared. Had she been swept away by the water, and dashed against the bicycle or broken glass bottles? However, only moments later the human girl reappeared, something clutched in her hands.

At this point Ís, who had hitherto been engrossed in the proceedings, realized Yubaba would want her to supervise the cleanup. She raced down the stairs, almost colliding with the customers who still stood there, waving their fans and shouting, "Heave!"

When she arrived, panting and out of breath, at Yubaba's side, the witch cast an eye over her. "You're late, Ís,' was all she said. "And you failed."

Ís knelt, her forehead touching the floor. "I apologize, master." Below her eyes something glinted. It had a warm, buttery glow — gold? Careful to keep her eyes respectfully downcast, Ís lifted the golden nugget. "Master, what is this?"

Ís could feel the gazes of the entire bathhouse on her, on her hand, on the thing in her palm. Suddenly, the spirit to her left shouted, "Gold!" There was the sounds of a mad scramble behind the apprentice, and Ís hid her smile. Yubaba would not punish her; instead, the witch would be in high spirits from having earnt so much.

But the witch screeched, "Stop, you idiots!" At first, Ís thought she meant to hoard all the treasure for herself, but Yubaba continued, "Our guest is still among us!"

The hubbub quieted. And, now that Ís knew what to look for, she noticed a faint bubbling in the tub. Then, a being shot up, long and sinuous like a snake. He reminded Ís of Haku — both shared the same serpentine grace, the tufted hair, and the lithe form. He flew off, and the cries, "Free! I'm free!' echoed around the entire bathhouse. The bathhouse gates were opened, likely by Yubaba's command, though Ís didn't know how anyone could have heard her over the tumult.

When the spirit customer was gone, the bathhouse seemed oddly empty. But Yubaba quickly restored the hubbub by ordering the workers to hand back their gold and begin cleaning. Ís directed the spirits to scrub the floors, remove the trash, wash away the purple liquid and mud, and collect the gold. She kept an especially strict eye on the gold collectors — they wouldn't pocket any of it.

The clean-up lasted long into the night. When Ís finally staggered up to her bed, the sun had been up for hours. But every conceivable speck of gold had been accounted for and, even though it'd been less than she'd had expected, Ís was pleased. After all, the brown sludge and nasty purple liquid had been mopped up. Exhausted, Ís fell into bed, and was woken what felt like only moments later by Lin.

"What do you want?" she asked irritably. Ís fought with her blankets to sit up, won, then glared at the spirit woman. "Is it about Sen again?"

"Yes, Sen received a gift from the river spirit." Lin seated herself, cross-legged, at the side of Ís' futon. "I caught a glimpse of it as we ate tonight. It's a small olive-green sphere that smells like fennel seeds."

"So what does this have to do with me?" Ís grumbled. She turned over, snuggling back under her blankets.

"I need you to figure out what this means for us, Ís." Lin stood up, pulling Ís' blankets back in one quick motion. She grabbed the girl by the shoulders. "That thing is magical — I could feel the slightest waves of magic coming off of it. We could use it to free Sen."

Ís twisted free of the spirit woman's grasp. "Free Sen?" she spat. "What about freeing us?"

Lin sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Ís, I want everyone to be free. I've been here for forty-four years; I know how terrible the bathhouse is." She sighed again. "I just want what's best for all of us."

"I'm sorry, Lin." Ís cast her eyes downward, guilt consuming her. "I don't know what came over me."

"it's fine, Ís. We're all just exhausted."

"I know, but that's no excuse." Ís stood up and began donning her uniform. "Here, why don't you braid my hair while you tell me what I need to do."

….

Yubaba's library was dark and gloomy, yet Ís moved each step full of confidence. She'd summoned a floating ball of ice, and it was giving off a cold, crisp blue light, by which she read the titles of the scrolls.

From her childhood spent in the library, Ís was certain she was in the medicine section. Picking through the stacks and stacks of scrolls, she finally found one that seemed promising. _The River,_ she read. Taking the scroll, Ís turned to leave so she could read it in her room.

But she couldn't. Her heart stopped as she heard a _thump thump thump_. Someone, or more specifically something, was coming. Placing the scroll in her uniform's front, over her stomach, Ís prepared herself. Being caught here would be ruinous.

Out of the gloom came three green heads. Ís frowned. These were Yubaba's pets, and there was no good way to escape this situation. Her ice would identify her, but she couldn't let them alert the witch. She was helpless. Seeing no alternatives, Ís began to run.

They clustered around her, though, jumping and grunting. Their big eyes and greasy mustaches repulsed Ís. One tried to jump on her, and she automatically shoved it away.

The physical. Ís stared at her hands, seeing them as more than conduits for her Elemental powers. If necessary, she could still fight back. But it was best to get away. She continued fleeing the library, running for her rooms. The green heads followed her, though, only a couple steps behind and making a huge racket. However, Ís reached the elevator first, slamming the doors shut behind her. With luck they'd forget that she'd been in the library — familiars were notoriously forgetful, and these green heads were terrified of Yubaba.

Ís returned to her rooms. Lin was gone, and the sun was already beginning to set in the distance. At the sight, Ís frowned and yawned as she opened the scroll detailing River Medicine.

 _The medicine of the river spirit comes in as many forms as the river itself,_ she read. _However, most has a similar purpose. It is a strong emetic, capable of forcing even the strongest stomachs to retch. While rare, this medicine is an Integral part of every physician's toolkit….._

Ís smirked, snapping the scroll shut. Lin was right — Sen's medicine could be very useful. It seemed that everything was falling into place. She moved to her bed, ready to finally get some sleep, the scroll still in her hands, when a knock on the door stopped her heart.

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 _I'll be changing the rating of this story to T. The next chapter will be rather violent, and I'd hate to have this story removed. It's just a safety precaution, though. I'd let my seven-year old sister read it without qualms. Basically, this rating change doesn't mean much. I'm just being careful :)_

 _Also, I've still got family visiting. I love them to death, but they can sure be a nuisance. I won't be responding to guest reviews this time, either. But thank you! All reviews help keep me focused._

 _And the next update will be Saturday January 7th. That's 9 days, since I've got something else to post on the 2nd. Happy New Year!_


	13. The Solid Gold Seal

**Chapter Thirteen: The Solid Gold Seal**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen._

Ís smirked. Everything was falling into place. She moved to her bed, ready to finally get some sleep, the scroll in her hands, when a knock on the door stopped her heart. "Who is it?" Ís called, her heart beating like a rabbit's as she scrambled to hide the scroll.

"It's me." Haku strolled in, not even bothering to wait for her permission. He glanced at her, and Ís turned away, holding the scroll behind her back. Hopefully he wouldn't notice her suspicious behaviour.

"Why are you here?" she snapped.

"It's time," he stated, looking straight at her. His manner was brusque and cold, and Ís stifled a curse. If Chihiro and her river medicine were here, they could free Haku now. But it seemed Ís was fated for one more mission.

"Fine," she drawled, affecting a disinterested expression. "Just let me get dressed, okay?" Thank goodness she'd stripped off her uniform before reading the scroll.

Haku eyed her disdainfully before saying, "Fine. I'll be waiting outside."

Ís nodded before shutting the door behind him. Six quick steps had the scroll hidden in the crack in the ceiling, where Yubaba would never think to look. Another two steps had her uniform over her head and a headband holding back her hair. After glance in the missor to assure that she was, indeed, presentable, Ís left her room.

Haku was lounging about outside her door. When he saw her, he picked himself off the wall and mockingly offered her his arm. Ís took it, and he silently escorted her to Yubaba's room.

On her balcony, the witch waited. When her apprentices approached, she clapped her hands together and said, "You'll be visiting my sister, Zeniba, for her solid gold seal. And this time, destroying other artifacts is acceptable — in fact, I encourage it." She gave a wicked grin. "Now, Haku has been scoping out her house so Ís, take his advice. And Haku, keep her safe."

The two exchanged glances, then nodded. At Yubaba's order, Haku transformed into a dragon and Ís mounted him, holding onto his horns. And when Haku jumped off the balcony, Ís' heart didn't plummet with him — she'd experienced the same sensation of falling so many times in the past year that it was now dull to her.

Now, they were on their way to Zeniba's cottage. The flight was quick and uneventful; before Ís knew it, she was discounting and Haku was transforming back to a human. "Where are we?" she asked. To their left was nothing but fields and fields of grass which stretched as far as the eye could see, and to their right was a forest.

"This train track marks the border," Haku replied. He walked forward and tapped something, which rippled and shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. "It wouldn't stop anyone, but it would warn Zeniba that she has visitors."

"Okay." Ís walked forward, inspecting the barrier as well. Once her curiosity was satisfied, she said, "What did you pack to get us through this?"

"It's in your bag," Haku replied.

Ís dug through her bag, her fingers finally closing around a small, round rock. "Isn't this the Blarney Stone?" she asked, bemused. "We stole it from that drunken midget under the waterfall."

Haku chuckled. "Yes, the one who loathed humans, but worshipped your astounding beauty. Now, Ís, activate the Blarney Stone."

Ís sighed. She'd hoped to postpone this mission as long as possible, but it seemed that now she didn't have a choice. Bringing the Blarney Stone to her lips, she kissed it.

Immediately she felt faint — the Stone was sucking the life-energy out of her — but Ís held the kiss until blue lights sparkled around her. Then she broke the kiss and watched as the blue lights came to form a shimmering bubble around her, one which glinted in the light. Haku touched her bubble and it rippled, reminding Ís of Zeniba's own barrier. "Well done," Haku said. "Now, let's go." He grabbed her arm, and began leading her towards the barrier.

There was one stressful moment when her sphere touched Zeniba's, but then they seemed to cancel one another out. Not quite, though — there still remained a faint blue aura around Ís.

Ís let him lead, for her legs were still weak after expending her energy to feed the Blarney Stone, and Haku knew what he was doing. He walked a circuitous path through the woods, dodging the various traps Zeniba had set against trespassers. Through all this, Ís just watched her bubble. It'd shrunken since they'd entered Zeniba's territory, now barely big enough for both her and Haku. She wouldn't have trouble staying within it, for as the caster, she always remained in its center. But Haku was always at the edge, only inches away from being detected by Zeniba. So Ís stuck close to him, and wished their mission would be over soon.

The two quickly reached Zeniba's cottage. When they were close enough to the fence, Haku drew Ís down, hiding the two of them behind the trees. "Here's the plan," he whispered. "We storm in, grab the deal, then go."

"Got it," Ís replied. So much depended on this mission. She was so close to freeing the bathhouse, but she had to survive or it's all be for naught. After patting herself down to ensure that yes, all her knives were strapped to her body where they belonged, the rose. "Let's go."

Haku nodded, getting to his feet as well. He grabbed Ís' hand, and together they sprinted to the thin wood fence, jumping over it.

Immediately, Ís' bubble flickered out. Alarms blared as Haku pulled Ís to the cottage, shouting, "This way!" He was avoiding the front door, heading instead for the windows, and he jumped through it, sending shards of glass flying. Ís followed him in on without a second thought, noting with detachment the scrapes the glass left her with, and how they stung. But she set her mouth in a grim line. It would get much, much worse than this.

The inside of the cottage was cost and smug, though it was littered with glass. A fire blazed in the corner, and a cup of tea — Ís recognized the fragrance, it smelled exactly like Yubaba's tea — say steaming next to a plush armchair.

Someone was home.

"Haku!" Ís called, hurrying to his side, her hands already glowing a faint blue. He was ransacking the witch's bookshelves, throwing things left and right, but he turned to listen to Ís. "Zeniba's here," she informed him.

Haku froze. An amused chuckle came from the vicinity of the chairs, causing the hair on Ís' neck to rise. It was eerie how much the witch sounded like Yubaba. "My sister's two rats," the voice drawled. "Here for my seal. How cute."

By this time Ís and Haku were standing back to back, scanning the room. But it seemed normal — a spinning wheel, a table, a couple chairs….

Cobwebs began drifting down before Ís' face. Her heart stopped and she snapped her head up to look at the ceiling.

There, standing in the rafters, was a witch who even dressed like Yubaba. Zeniba cried out in an arcane language, chanting what Ís recognized as an Animal Call and shaping a glowing sphere before her. As the yellow ball whistled piercingly, spiders began to drop from the rafters. But these were no ordinary spiders: as they fell they morphed, growing to be as big as Ís' hand, with red eyes and fangs.

Ís moved, drawing her knives from various places. She threw them at the approaching spiders, careful not to let any of them get close to her. At her side, she felt rather than saw Haku transform into a dragon, and Ís smiled. His scales would protect him from the spiders and their poison.

However, the spiders, sensing Haku was invulnerable to them, flocked to Ís. But she hurled her daggers at them, impaling them if they got too close; she had the situation under control. Until, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Zeniba moving to attack Haku, who was oblivious to the witch, too busy rummaging around her drawers in his dragon form.

Thoughts ran through her head. She couldn't let the witch engage Haku. He needed to find the seal so that they could leave. But could she hold off both Zeniba and the spiders? Ís grimaced, then flicked her fingers at Zeniba, separating the witch and the dragon with a wall of ice.

The witch turned to face Ís and drawled, "So, the rumors were true. My sister did manage to apprentice an Elemental." She stalked towards Ís. "Why don't we see just how much she taught you."

Zeniba grabbed a spool of thread from her pocket and hissed. Immediately, it began slithering towards Ís. Ís blasted ice at it, but it didn't freeze, instead coiling around her foot and moving up her leg, squeezing her calf with its tight embrace.

Ís glanced down at it, but the spiders kept coming, so Ís couldn't let her concentration slip for even a second. And she was running low on daggers. Shutting her eyes right, blocking out the witch, the spiders, and the thread, Ís tried to create a golden, but for some reason it kept melting into sludge. Zeniba must have put up wards. Ís frowned, then spin and knifed the spider who'd snuck up on Her with her second-to-last dagger.

This was bad. Mindful of the need to conserve her daggers, Ís kept one back in her left hand, and with her right hand she froze the approaching spiders. The thread kept climbing her leg, but Ís only gritted her teeth. She couldn't deal with it yet, for Zeniba had begun hurling boulders at her and the spiders just kept coming. Ís was kept in constant motion dodging, ducking and stabbing, and she had no time to fight the thread, which had begun to twist around her hip.

Finally, while sidestepping a boulder, Ís managed to slice at the thread with her dagger while simultaneously freezing the spiders about to drop on her from the ceiling. _Haku had best find that seal soon,_ she thought grimly. _I can't keep this up much longer._ Then Ís turned to face the witch and lunged forward, hurling long, razor-sharp icicles at Zeniba.

However, inches away from the witch, they melted, becoming puddles at Zeniba's feet. "Is that the best you can do, little girl?" Zeniba smirked. "Pathetic little human."

But Ís only grinned in response — the distraction had given her the time she'd needed. Skipping up to the witch, Ís managed to draw blood with her dagger before settling back into a defensive stance. And was she glad that she did, for a second later Zeniba shrieked, "You dare, human?" Fire began to swirl around the witch, and Ís hurriedly constructed an thick wall of ice to protect her from Zeniba 's fiery retaliation.

As she stood there, her powers streaming into her wall, glad Yubaba had insisted she practice since the fire crab, Ís felt a thin, fiery brand on her leg. Glancing down, she saw that the thread, though severed, was still crawling up her leg. And it was smouldering.

Ís grimaced and she heard the witch cackle, "You like the thread? It'll hurt, dearie, it'll burn, and it's almost impossible to remove. At least for one of your powers."

Anger rose within the girl, making her ice wall falter. Flames rushed towards her, but at the last second she regained an icy calm and froze the ground with a sheen of ice, gliding away from the fires.

However, the witch was already resorting to other tactics. She held the empty spool to her lips, whispered something unintelligible, and Ís felt the thread twining up her leg burning and sinking into her skin. She collapsed from the pain and was only vaguely aware of the witch walking up to her. "Admirable effort, my dear, but you simply aren't my match. Well, it's time to dispose of my sister's thieving apprentice. Maybe I should send your body to her as a birthday gift…" Zeniba loomed over her, a large sword appearing in the witch's hands, which she held over Ís' heart. Ís could barely concentrate from the thread's pain; however, she knew nothing could save her now. But, out of nowhere, Haku came charging at the witch, barreling into her and knocking her over.

He bent over Ís, his long whiskers probing at her wounded leg. The pain subsided some, and Ís managed a watery smile as she staggered to her feet. "Thanks, Haku. You do have the seal, right?" Haku grinned at her. "Then let's go."

The two flew off into the sunrise. Behind them, Zeniba's house was nothing but smouldering ruins, but Ís was too exhausted to appreciate the destruction they'd wreaked. She only wanted to rest. Laying down on Haku's back, she shut her eyes, only to snap them open again when she heard paper whistling through the air.

Ís spun. A flock of paper cut-outs hurtled after them. "Haku!" she shouted over the wind. "You didn't kill Zeniba?"

The dragon shook his head, and Ís muttered a curse. They'd have to deal with this aerial assault. Still, she'd seen blood on his teeth, so he had injured Zeniba. And as long as nothing else came, these papers could be dealt with.

Spinning around, Ís threw a handful of icicles at their pursuers. Some of them dropped like rocks, ice weighing them down, while the others kept following Haku. Ís grimaced. This would be a long ride home. Still, with the seal in Haku's stomach, she wouldn't worry about her bag. Shrugging the strap off her shoulder, Ís watched it fall to the ground below, then turned to fire again at the paper. She'd need everything if she was to keep these paper things away from her and Haku.

"Fly fast, Haku, and don't worry about me," she shouted into his ear. He put on a burst of speed, wriggling through the air, but Ís was unfazed; instead, she let go of his horns and shot wave after wave of her icy magic at the paper cut-outs.

Still, there were too many for her to handle. They drew close to Haku, ripping at his flanks and somehow still remaining a pure white. His blood gushed from his wounds, though, and Ís, frantic, kept freezing as many as she could. They only had to make it a few more miles — she could already see the bathhouse, the dark smudge in the distance.

However, after watching the papers attacking them, Ís set her mouth in a grim line. They weren't going to make it. But still, she'd fight to her last.

But suddenly, Haku, giving Ís no warning, dove into the waters below. Ís wasn't able to get her hands around his horns before they entered the water. Praying for life, she clung onto his mane and clenched her legs around his middle. The rough water seemed intent on plucking her from Haku's back, but Ís persevered, the only thought running through her head being, _don't let go, don't let go, don't let go or Zeniba will get you, don't let go!_ Her lungs were screaming when they finally broke the surface, and Ís quickly took deep breath and grabbed Haku's horns and held on as tight as she could as he writhed through the air.

Looking around them, she could see the paper pieces, still magically dry, which had followed them through the water. But the papers had lost ground. Clearly, they weren't as fast or effective in the water as they were in the air, and Ís felt Haku dipping beneath her as he reached the same conclusion. She took a deep breath, fired off one last ice blast, wrapped her fingers tight around Haku's horns, and glanced up at the bathhouse.

Smoke poured from the ducts. Ís' eyes widened: why would Kamaji already have the boiler running? However, her mind was quickly occupied with an altogether more urgent fact — there'd been a small face on one of the balconies, and the door behind it had been open. This was their way back into the bathhouse. Hopefully, once they entered the papers would be powerless.

Ís kept track of where the open door was, and she managed to survive Haku's underwater acrobatics until he erupted upwards again. Then, she guided him towards the open balcony. "Watch out!" she cried as they neared the bathhouse, and Ís recognized Chihiro's face.

They ended up crash-landing in the servants' quarters. Ís immediately rolled off the dragon as he began thrashing around, and moved to help Chihiro shut the doors. The papers had to be kept away at all costs.

But for all their effort, some of the papers managed to get in. Ís watched them with bated breath, waiting for them to attack, but for some reason they began to leave, streaming away. As Ís stood there behind the sliding doors, she realized that Zeniba feared her sister's wrath. After all, Yubaba didn't tolerate other spirits meddling in her affairs, so there were certainly spells covering the bathhouse to warn her, spells which Zeniba wouldn't want to trigger. In Yubaba's territory, Zeniba wouldn't dare do a thing.

Still, though, Ís watched the papers through narrowed eyes. She wouldn't put it past Zeniba to leave a few papers with which to attack her sister. The witch was sneaky enough.

When all but the most broken papers had left, Ís turned to see Chihiro drawing nearer to Haku, who panted, blood dripping from his mouth, and regarded the human girl with crazed eyes. Though she hoped the human girl managed to calm Haku, Ís stayed away. He wouldn't react well to her presence.

However, Chihiro was unable to tame the dragon. After giving a feral snarl, Haku dashed out of the room, jumped over the balcony and flew haphazardly to Yubaba's rooms.

At the sight of him crashing against the bathhouse's walls, clearly still under the control slug's power, Ís sighed. She glanced at Chihiro, then at the ruined room, then ordered the human girl, "Get the medicine from the river spirit."

Chihiro answered quietly, "It's already in my pocket."

Ís nodded. "Good," she replied. "Now, Haku needs you. You'll need to reach Yubaba's rooms. When you see him, feed him that medicine. It's the only way to save him."

Chihiro nodded, a steely glint in her eyes. "I'll do it. Haku saved me; I'm going to save him." She bowed to Ís, then ran out.

As Ís hurried down to the boiler rooms, her right leg still twinging, she smiled to herself. Everything was working out. Chihiro would save Haku's mind from the control slug, and Ís would save Haku's body from Zeniba. After all, Kamaji still had all the healing charms Ís had stockpiled over the years. It was time they were put to good use.

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 _Yeah, nothing like an awesome fight-scene where you get to make everything up :) I hope you enjoyed my take on The Stealing of the Golden Seal. I also hope the spiders don't give anyone nightmares. I'm deathly afraid of spiders, so I thought I'd share my phobia XP_

 _And again, my family is still here. But they'll be gone soon! I'll be able to reply guest reviews for the next chapter. However, this semester I've begun taking rigorous classes, and I'm finding myself really pressed for time — I don't know when I'll next be able to update, and I probably won't have set updates until summer. I'm sorry! I'll shoot for once a month, but even that may be pushing it. After all, grades always come first. Again, I shouldn't leave you guys like this (I feel so guilty for having to stop halfway), but grades always come first._

 _But no worries! I won't abandon this story. Not when I've got 12k words (and counting) still to come!_


	14. No-Face

Chapter Fourteen: No Face

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or Frozen. And since I've decided disclaimers are ridiculous, just consider the rest of these chapters disclaimed, okay?_

Ís raced to the boiler room, colliding with various employees toting huge platters of food in her haste to reach Kamaji. But after three such encounters, she huffed and stopped the nearest spirit. "What's going on?" she demanded.

He spun around, shaking her hand off and retorting, "Go find out on your own; I don't have time—" His eyes widened as he took in her uniform and white-blonde hair. Then he dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the polished wood floors. "I am sorry— I was rude— my apologies— Mistress Ís, I didn't realise—"

"Just tell me what's going on," Ís interrupted.

The spirit's eyes did not lift from the floor as he answered, "There's a rich spirit and he's hungry, so everyone is trying to please him." His eyes flickered to the bare feet running by; no doubt he'd heard the feminine giggles and the clink of gold. "May I go?" he asked, a hint of a whine creeping into his voice.

"Fine. You are dismissed." Ís watched him bow and scrape, then run away, and the display made her snort. He was so greedy, no different than Yubaba. But gold did not equal greed: there was good in the bathhouse, like Haku. And if she were to save him, she'd need to hurry.

When Ís entered the boiler room, she was immediately enveloped by hot, dry air. In the stifling atmosphere, Kamaji's silhouette was hard at work grinding the various herbs into a paste and the clink of coal was occasionally punctured by cries of "Get ta work, ya lazy balls of soot!" Not bothering to bow, Ís hurried to him and tugged his sleeve. "Kamaji," she shouted over the din. "I need my healing charms."

Kamaji turned and peered at her, for he'd always been rather near-sighted. Regardless, his eyes lit up when he recognized her and his eyebrows rose at her request. "It's time, isn't it," he stated.

"It is," Ís answered simply.

One of Kamaji's arm was already reaching for the furthest drawer on the second row. Upon opening said drawer, it withdrew a bag heavy with the charms Ís had collected over the years, which he then placed in her hands. "Good luck, Ís."

She turned, a sad smile on her face and the bag slung across her shoulders. "Thank you, Kamaji. I'll be needing it." With that she left, crawling through the panel, and the human girl was gone just as quickly as she'd came.

Kamaji watched her go, hoping with all his heart that Ís would succeed. For if she did, his life would improve dramatically: he pictured the train tickets at the bottom of his drawer, tickets no doubt yellowed by age, tickets which represented what could have been but never was, and prayed for victory.

…...

The girl who carried so many hopes and dreams steadily made her way to Yubaba's rooms. However, when she reached the upper levels, she only narrowly avoided running headlong into a mass of spirits. Her breath caught as she thought of Lin, likely caught in the crush, and after a moment's consideration Ís dove in. She needed to reach the elevators and save Haku, but if she happened across her spirit woman, she'd take the time to save her as well.

But to her surprise, the servants, who'd all been eagerly crowding forward only a few seconds ago, turned and began screaming. Instead of pushing toward the honored guest as she'd expected, they began fighting their way out, trampling and clawing each other.

Ís was no different. They charged her, shoving her aside and, when Ís was almost crushed by the mob, she thought grimly, _enough is enough_. She shot herself into the air and created an icy, elevated walkway with which to cross the room unscathed. And though she kept an eye open for Lin, she couldn't find the spirit woman.

However, Ís' magic caught the attention of the honored guest; a monstrous black spirit lurched towards her, moaning,. "Feed me... Feed me!" His arms slapped against her walkway, shaking it and making Ís stumble. But she gritted her teeth and balanced, thanking Kagwi's old lessons as she raced away. She slipped only once, but luckily she was close enough to her goal, and instead of falling into the mass of spirits, she tumbled to the foot of the elevator. Her way to Yubaba's rooms. And not a moment too soon: the monster was behind her and groaning once more, saliva dripping from his maw, "I want you, I want you!"

Ís stood, spun, and shot a blast of glittering ice into his mouth. While it wouldn't kill him, it would certainly slow him down and help the trapped employees escape. Her good deed done, Ís hurried into the elevator and pulled the lever.

The ride was smooth. When the doors opened, Ís glided out and approached Yubaba's knocker, her hand already raised, but suddenly it squawked, "Out of my way, girl."

Ís jumped aside, barely avoiding the door as it swung open and slammed against the wall. Yubaba strode out. Hiding the bag of healing charms behind her, Ís bowed low to the witch. "Master," she said softly.

Yubaba regarded her, then sniffed and said, "Ís, I was just about to call you. See if you can save Haku — he's bleeding all over the rugs, but he's such a well-trained thief. And if Haku can't be saved, then shove him down the chute and come downstairs. I need you there as quickly as possible." Ís nodded and Yubaba swept out, presumably to handle No-Face.

As soon as the witch left, Ís dropped her charade of indifference and raced to Yubaba's study. Hopefully Sen was already there; hopefully Haku was still alive; hopefully this entire plan would even work. Those thoughts pounding through her head, she sprinted in, only to freeze in the doorway at the sight of Haku, still a dragon, lying by the chute with blood gushing from his numerous wounds. The green heads were already hard at work pushing him ever nearer the chute, as if they'd already deemed him beyond saving, and Yubaba's bird-puppet circled around cawing defiantly.

"Haku!" Ís cried, running to his side. Four blasts of ice had the green heads and the bird-puppet immobilized, and then her hands were digging through her bag. This was worst than she remembered. But Chihiro was already there, holding him tenderly in her arms. "Chihiro, feed him the river spirit medicine! He needs to vomit." Then Ís slid to the nastiest gash, a discolored wound near his hind leg, and began activating a healing charm.

Chihiro, she was pleased to note, was already crawling up to Haku's mouth and resolutely trying to pry his mouth open.

"Well, well well," a voice drawled. "What do we have here?"

Ís' heart stopped. She knew that voice. "Zeniba," she stated with calm she did not feel. She stood, turned, and faced the misty outline of the witch. "What an unpleasant surprise."

The witch merely cackled. "You think I'd let you heal Haku? Of course I had to come."

"Even though Yubaba's detection charm will surely find you?" Ís asked, her eyes scanning the room. Zeniba must be projecting from somewhere; Ís just had to stall. It would be okay.

 _Crash!_ Ís spun to see Boh struggling out of his room with the curtains tangled around his portly form. But then he ripped free of the fabric and staggered toward Chihiro. "I'm not afraid of germs," he said quietly. "If you don't play with me, I'll cry."

Ís frowned. She hadn't anticipated this. She strode to Boh and ordered, "Go back to your room."

"No! I wanna play with Sen." Boh's face screwed up. "Play with me Sen, or I'm gonna cry." Tears began welling in his eyes. "I-I-I'll cry and Mama will come…." His voice began stammering, wails promising to burst forth and Ís froze, paralyzed by indecision. If Yubaba came, it'd be impossible to protect Chihiro. But she couldn't attack Yubaba's son! Doing so would be suicide. Her mind whirled fruitlessly, unsure of how to respond.

But Zeniba took action. "You're a bit of a porker, aren't you?" she said with a sneer.

"Mama?" Boh asked.

"No, you pea brain," she said disdainfully. "Can't you even tell me from your own mother?" She made a small zipping motion, and before Ís' eyes, Boh shrank into a small grey mouse. "There now," Zeniba sighed. "Your body matches your brain. Now, what else can we mess with this? Remember," she said, winking at Ís and Chihiro, "this is our little secret. You tell anyone else and I'll rip your mouths out."

Ís watched, shocked, as Zeniba also transformed the three green heads into a large baby identical Boh and Yubaba's puppet into a small, buzzing bird.

Suddenly, Haku jerked. Ís spun and saw a black blob sizzling on Yubaba's maroon carpet, disintegrating until only a black slug and a golden seal remained.

"My seal….." Zeniba whispered, though Ís paid her no heed.

"Step on it!" Ís shouted, grabbing Chihiro's wrist and dragging her to where the slug was. The two immediately began frantically trying to step on the slug. However, it wriggled towards the translucent witch and Ís slowed, afraid of getting too close to Zeniba; Chihiro, though, had no such inhibitions and kept stomping until, finally, she succeeded.

"Quick!" Ís shouted. "Put your thumbs and forefingers together."

"Like this?" Chihiro asked.

"No, like _this_." Zeniba modeled for Chihiro. The human girl mimicked the witch, and then Zeniba bisected the rectangle, chanting "Evil begone."

Silence enveloped the room until Zeniba drawled, "So, is seems Haku had a control slug. I guess that excuses him; but you, ice-girl, still have to suffer for your thieving ways." She raised her hand, no doubt beginning a spell, when Haku awoke and brought his tail up, only to slam it back down and slice a small piece of paper Ís hadn't noticed before.

"Ooh, a papercut," Zeniba said as she broke in two.

Ís sighed in relief. But then she saw Haku falling down the chute, for his movement had unbalanced him. "No!" she cried, running to his side. But he'd already begun tumbling into the darkness, Chihiro clinging to his horns.

Ís eyed the drop with trepidation; however, she couldn't leave Haku and Chihiro. Though their chance of survival was miniscule and the bathhouse needed her, Ís found she couldn't abandon them. Somehow they'd wormed their way into her heart and she knew she'd never forgive herself if she stood by and let them die. So, after taking a deep breath, Ís tied the bag of charms tight over her back and jumped into the abyss.

She plummeted. The cold, icy stones around her were indistinguishable from the gloom, and it was impossible to tell how quickly she fell. Just when she'd thought all hope was lost, that Haku and Chihiro _had_ been eaten by the old, angry spirits that lived trapped beneath the bathhouse, Ís glimpsed a few shimmering pearlescent scales, much like those of Haku, floating at the mouth of one of the numerous passageways leading away.

It was as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Chihiro and Haku had survived. Now, she only had to worry about herself. Ís spun as she fell and, when she was positioned just so, she sent concentrated blast of her icy magic towards the opposite wall. The icy air pushed her towards the opening and out of the ancient spirits' reach; the spirits, no doubt irritated by missing two meals in such quick succession, gave a low moan and rose from the depths.

But they were too late. Ís had already landed in the passageway. She called an icy wall into existence so that they couldn't follow her, silently thanked Kagwi for his training, then padded along the duct, following the trail of wet crimson blood and white-blue scales. The trail ended at a hole in the duct. Ís eyed the drop, which she estimated to be around twelve feet, and was on the verge of climbing through when she heard Kamaji's voice. "Zeniba's solid gold monogram seal? That's as powerful as it gets."

"Kamaji, what if I take the seal back to Zeniba?" Chihiro's voice seemed hesitant. "I could give it back to her and apologise for Haku."

Ís's eyes shot open. She hastily jumped through the hole, breaking her fall by conjuring a snowdrift beneath her. Unaware of the astonishment from her sudden entrance, she asked, "You'd go to Zeniba?"

"Yes," Chihiro replied, her tone brooking no argument. "Haku helped me before, and now I want to help him. There's a curse on Zeniba's seal, and he's not going to recover until it's broken."

Ís nodded. "I understand. Go ahead. It's not as if I could use the seal. But I could use her help fixing the bathhouse."

Chihiro grinned. "Understood. Thank you, Ís."

Kamaji looked at them both, then said, "If you're going to Zeniba's cottage, Chihiro, then you're going to need tickets. Train tickets." An arm reached to the bureau and withdrew a thin roll of paper. "I've been saving these for forty years… but I want you to have them."

Ís' own throat was closing from the sacrifice Kamaji was making for Chihiro; she watched, approval in her eyes, as Chihiro bowed before him and whispered her thanks. Then Ís laid a hand on Chihiro's arm. "If you do earn Zeniba's forgiveness, could you also ask for her help in delivering a short letter? It's for my family."

Chihiro nodded. "Sure!" she replied. "I'd be happy to do that, Ís".

Ís smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. I'll write it up before you leave. And remember, don't come back to the bathhouse until Haku and I retrieve you, okay?"

"Got it," Chihiro replied. "And Ís, his true name is Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi. I just thought you should know."

Ís blinked. Then she said a little sadly, "He has his true name back, too. I'm glad for him." She took out her bell and rang for Lin. While she waited, she borrowed both a scrap of paper and a pen from Kamaji and scribbled: _Mother, Father, Anna. I'll be back soon. Wait for me. Your daughter, Ís._ Then she pressed the scrap of parchment into Chihiro's hand with a murmured, "Thank you."

Chihiro was on the verge of replying when an irritated Lin burst into the boiler room. "Ís!" she snapped, "I was in the middle of something!" Then the spirit woman caught sight of Ís and Chihiro covered in Haku's blood, and her expression changed to one of concern. "What's going on in here?

"A fight with Zeniba," came the grim reply. "But the time has come to right the wrongs. Lin, I need you to take Chihiro to Zeniba's and stay there, far, far away from the bathhouse."

"Understood," the spirit woman replied. "But the guy with all the gold turned out to be a monster named No-Face. He's already eaten two people and he's asking for Sen. Shouldn't she stop him first?"

Ís' eyes flashed. "No," she replied. "I'll deal with him. You two need to get away and stay safe."

Chihiro nodded mutely, then thrust a half-sphere into her hands. "Take this. It's the other half of my river-spirit medicine and I think you need it more than my parents." Ís accepted without a word, pocketing the gift. Then Chihiro threw herself at Ís, enveloped the girl in a hug, and whispered, "Good luck."

Ís returned the hug. When she pulled back and held Chihiro at arm's length, she said, "Thank you. And I'll make sure Haku recovers. I promise."

Chihiro smiled at Ís and murmured, "Goodbye." Then she turned to the spirit woman. "Lin, we need to leave before it gets bloody. Shall we go?"

"Just a few seconds, Chihiro," Lin replied. She grasped Ís' hands and said, "I can't believe we've made it this far. Be strong, Ís, and make it through alive." Lin kissed Ís on the forehead, then regretfully pulled away. "If anyone can do this, it's you."

Ís watched them go, tears in her eyes: this might be the last time she saw Lin or Chihiro ever again. After the door shut behind them, she turned to Kamaji. "Would you watch Haku?"

"Of course, Ís. I'll use the healing charms and, when he wakes, I'll send him to you."

"Thank you." Ís bowed low.

One of the spider spirit's arms snaked out and his hand lifted Ís' chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. "No. We should thank you. Don't think we are unaware of the sacrifices you are making."

Ís swallowed hard. "Goodbye, Kamaji," she said, her voice breaking. Then she jerked out of Kamaji's grasp and hurried out of the room. Once outside, she leant against the wall, took a deep breath, and Ís whispered, "Conceal, don't feel." Her emotions were running rampant after bidding farewell to Lin, Kamaji and Chihiro, and it could prove her undoing. She needed to be as cold as the ice she wielded.

When her calm was finally restored, she hurried towards the elevators and stopped the first employee she came across. "Where's Yubaba?" she demanded.

"Upstairs with the monster in our finest room," the cowering employee replied.

Ís nodded, then strode off.

When she entered the room, it was chaos: china dishes were thrown every which way, elaborate foods were strewn about the floor, mixing and muddling to form a greyish goop, and large rents were torn into the rice-paper walls. Yubaba stood before No-Face, trying desperately to placate him, and Ís sidled up to the witch. "Haku is dead and the seal is nowhere to be found," she reported.

"I don't care about that!" Yubaba snapped. "Where's Sen?"

Ís saw the monster's head snap up at the mention of the human girl. She forced herself to remain nonchalant as she shrugged and answered simply, "She's gone."

Immediately the monster, No-Face, was upon her, his rancid breath billowing in her face. "Where is Sen? I want Sen!"

Ís fought to keep the fear from her face. "I don't know where she went."

"Noooooooo!" he cried. "I want Sen, I want Sen!" His tongue flailed about and Ís was forced to dodge. "This is your fault," he panted. "This is your fault!" He charged at Ís, catching her by surprise. Too late she raised her hand to shoot ice at him — his slavering tongue had already wrapped itself around her body, and before she knew it Ís was inside of the monster.

She floated there in stunned silence. Her hands scrabbled at the wall, finding no purchase. Her powers sparked from her fear, illuminating the inside of the monster with white-blue flashes. The thick black gelatinous matter surrounded her, cradled her, soothed her. _Give up,_ it seemed to whisper. _Sleep_. It was tranquil and Ís felt her eyelids drooping until she caught herself. Lin still needed her. Haku still needed her. The entire bathhouse still needed her. She couldn't abandon them now, not when she was so close to winning. But how could she escape?

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 _XD Sorry about the cliffie. But I'm back! AP tests are over and I'm just ready to write a bunch of fanfic… summer, here I come!_


	15. Farewell

Her mind raced. How could she escape? Her ice did nothing, for the monster only absorbed it. Her daggers were useless as well, for the monster's flesh just rippled beneath the blades and flowed back into place afterwards, completely unaffected. Abandoning her primary weapons, Ís instead dug through her pockets looking for something, anything, to save her when she came across a half-sphere. A blinding ball of light suddenly struck outside her prison, allowing Ís to see what was in her hands: Chihiro's river spirit medicine.

The old library text flashed through before her eyes — _The medicine of the river spirit comes in as many forms as the river itself… it is a strong emetic, capable of forcing even the strongest stomachs to retch —_ and Ís rubbed the medicine over all the gelatinous matter she could find.

Its effect was instantaneous.

Everywhere the sphere touched, No-Face's flesh began to wriggle and contract, as if were trying to escape. When it became too tumultuous for Ís to stand any longer, she pushed the ball as deep as she could into the monster's throat and curled into a ball: she was about to be vomited up.

The wait was short. Within seconds she landed between the mounds of food and greasy dishes, in the process whacking her head against the hardwood floor. After sitting up with a groan, Ís gratefully took the hazy outline of a hand that was extended to her, was pulled to her feet, and swayed against its owner. When her vision cleared, she was surprised to see Haku at her side. "You're better?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, a steely glint in his eyes. "And Kamaji explained the situation to me. We are going to overthrow Yubaba."

Ís grinned. "Thank goodness. Though we may not have to do anything." She gestured to No-Face, who was staggered, groaning, after the witch.

"What did you do to me?" he cried, leaning against the frescos of red monsters for support as he leant over and retched once again. "What did you do?"

"I stopped you," the witch replied with obvious satisfaction. "I should have done it long ago."

However, Haku dismissed No-Face with a wave of his hand. "No-Face isn't powerful enough. It has to be the two of us." He met her eyes. "Are you ready?" he asked quietly.

"Well, I've no knives, but I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Ís answered, her smile strained.

"That'll have to be enough." Haku took her hand, and the two walked over, skirting the piles of broken china, mounds of food, and pools of sludge. Once they'd drawn near, Haku squared his shoulders and shouted, "Yubaba! It's time for a talk."

The witch turned and saw her two apprentices standing there, simply watching. "Don't just stand there!" she snapped. "Stop this creature!"

"No." Ís' tone was final. "We're done with you, Yubaba. We'll never obey you again."

"Oh really?" the witch asked, raising an eyebrow. "How short-sighted of you. Once I'm through with you two rebellious apprentices, you'll wish you'd never disobeyed me." She darted around No-Face, shaped a glowing ball of energy and hissed, "Suffer for your insolence." Then she sent the sphere flying at Ís.

However, Ís dodged easily and sent her own spray of icicles in return. But they just plunked into the table which had flung itself between the witch and Ís. "You fool," the witch snarled. "To set yourself against me." The table shattered and fell to the floor, and through the rubble sped four discs of varying shapes and sizes.

Ís' eyes widened and she cartwheeled aside, plucking a large fork from the ground as she did so. Within seconds it was flying toward Yubaba, but it missed the witch.

However, Haku was already pressing forward and putting the witch on the defensive. Calling two silver samurai swords into existence, he ran into close quarters and swiped at her.

Ís, too, ran forward and sent blast after blast of razor-sharp ice at the witch. Yubaba avoided them, but the strain of Ís and Haku's combined attacks was showing: she was panting, her hair hanging in a chaotic disarray.

Ís smirked, and in that lapse of concentration Yubaba struck. A quick, invisible charm locked her muscles and she fell, paralyzed, to the floor.

Haku's eyes widened and stepped forward to cover for Ís. He blew the faintest breath of greenish-blue mist into Yubaba's eyes. Again, the witch neutralized the attack — the fog froze only inches from her face — but the fear showed in her eyes. She stepped away from Haku and Ís, then cried, "Haku, stop!" But her entreaty to the control slug was in vain; when Haku failed to freeze in cold obedience, she turned to her trump card. "Stop, Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi!"

But Haku only turned at her, loathing in his jade eyes. Ís could have cheered from where she lay paralyzed on the floor. "Chihiro already returned my name," he said softly. "You have no power over me, Yubaba!" Then he lunged at her, but the table reformed and interposed once again.

"You may have your name," the witch sneered, "but what of your human friend?" She waved a hand at Ís, lifting the paralysis charm. "I bet she doesn't have her name…"

Ís saw what was going to happen clear as day. Her true name would force her to fight Haku. But she wouldn't be the weak link. Not now, not ever.

Moving quicker than she'd ever thought possible, she grabbed the knife lying by her head and hurled it at the witch. It sped toward Yubaba, catching her by surprise; there was no time for the witch to block.

Yubaba knew it too. The knife flew towards her heart, and she had no time to stop it. But she had time for revenge. "Molotova eratz wie Elsa!" the witch screeched. Then she fell back, motionless, impaled by the knife.

But she wasn't the only one that fell. Ís, too, collapsed, shaking like a leaf.

….

Haku ran to Yubaba's body and checked her pulse. When he'd ascertained she was dead, he sprinted to Ís, worry on his face. No-Face followed him, still puking sludge, but a waved hand pushed the spirit away and out of the room.

Ís was thrashing wildly, her eyes rolled so far back that only the whites showed. "Ís!" he shouted, crouching at her side and shaking her. "Wake up! Please! We've won!"

But Ís kept convulsing, giving no sign of having heard. Finally, Haku sighed. "She needs help," he muttered. "And only Zeniba can help her now." With one last worried glance at Ís, he ran to the window and jumped out. As he plummeted, he transformed into a dragon, then began flying full speed towards Zeniba's cottage.

Haku blazed through the sky, adrenaline fuelling his journey, only one thought pounding through his head: _Let Ís live. Let her recover. Let it not be too late._

When he landed, Chihiro and Lin came racing out, grins on their faces; however, once they realized he was riderless, their faces fell. "Is she okay?" Lin asked frantically.

Haku shifted back into a boy. "I need Zeniba," was his only reply. "Now."

Lin sprinted back to the house, and within seconds Zeniba was exiting the cottage, a large bag of charms in her hands. "The girl needs our help, doesn't she," the witch stated in a soft, gentle tone. Haku nodded curtly, and Zeniba clapped her hands together. "Then what are we waiting for? Haku, turn into a dragon. These two ladies need a ride back. I'll fly alongside. Let's go!"

Haku obligingly transformed back into a dragon, dipping his head for Chihiro and Lin to clamber onto his back. Once their hands were securely around his horns, Haku shot off like a rocket; Zeniba was barely able to keep up as she flew alongside the dragon, the golden seal spinning and whistling between her cupped hands.

Within minutes the motley group reached the bathhouse. Haku tore through the wooden walls as if they were wet tissue paper, then landed. Lin and Chihiro immediately dismounted, and Haku shimmered back into a boy. "Come on," he urged them. "Ís needs our help."

But Lin didn't move. "Something's wrong," the spirit woman said anxiously. "The bath house feels different than before… what's going on?"

Haku's eyes flashed and he snapped, "We need to reach Ís! She's dying! That's what's wrong!"

"No, Lin's right." Chihiro didn't flinch when Haku spun at her, anger on his face. "Can't you smell the smoke in the air?"

"There's nothing!" he retorted. But as he did so, he caught a whiff of smoke, and his eyes widened in surprise. What a fool he'd been. "You're right," he conceded. "We need to put out the fire."

"No." Zeniba floated through the gaping hole Haku had left in the wall. "Ís is our first consideration. Haku, where is she?"

"She's in the Room of Our Most Honoured Guest," Haku replied. "Lin knows where that is." He heard flames crackling down below them, and the sound of shouting — or was he imagining it? "She'll take you. I need to check on the bathhouse. Something is wrong. Very wrong."

Lin nodded and set off, Zeniba following close behind her. But to Haku's surprise, Chihiro remained. "I'm coming with you. And so are they." She gestured to the small, fat mouse and the tiny bird riding on her shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Haku asked, already striding to the railing; something was going on below, and he needed to find out what. "It might be dangerous."

"I'm sure," Chihiro replied. "I belong at your side, through good times and through bad."

Haku turned to her with a smile so large it threatened to split his face in two. But then he caught sight of the devastation below and his smile slid off his face: the bathhouse employees were rioting, shouting, and waving their torches aloft. In fact, it was a miracle the building hadn't collapsed yet; flames licked the walls, twining the columns with their sinuous, orange-yellow forms.

Chihiro followed his gaze, and her breath caught. "Oh my goodness," she breathed. "We need to stop this."

"Yes," Haku agreed, his nostrils flaring. "Ís is dying and these numbskulls are destroying the place." He took Chihiro's hand and jumped over the railing, calling upon his magic to soften their landing. Once they were in the midst of the mob, he grabbed the first employee he could find and flung him against the wall. "What's going on?" Haku growled.

The spirit cowered against the floor, as if trying to hide from the boy's angry gaze. "Master Haku— We didn't know— We'd assumed—"

"What." Haku's voice was flat and his eyes flashed as he snapped, "What did you think?"

If possible, the spirit huddled even lower. "We thought you were dead. Yubaba is dead. Ís is dead. Boh is nowhere to be found."

"Well, I'm here now." Haku's expression turned stony. "I am Yubaba's apprentice, and I claim this bathhouse as mine." He climbed atop the ruins of the Big Tub, and thundered, "I, Kohaku Nushi, former apprentice of Yubaba, claim this bathhouse as my own!"

He paused to regard the employees. They'd stopped rioting to listen, but within second they had lost interest in Haku and returned to their former activities.

"No! Stop! Listen!" Haku cried. But they paid him no heed, too caught up in their senseless violence. After many such vain entreaties, Haku hung his head, turned to Chihiro, and muttered, "This is impossible. They'll never obey me."

Chihiro patted his shoulder consolingly. "Perhaps Boh could?" she suggested. At Haku's thunderstruck expression, she hastened to add, "He's on the floor. After we jumped from the upper floors, he fell off my shoulder and refused to get back on." Chihiro smiled at the recollection, then crouched down beside the small, fat grey mouse. "Boh, what do you say? Would you help us?"

The mouse gave a tiny nod, and before Haku's eyes he ballooned into a giant baby that crawled atop the big tub and bellowed, "Stop!"

To Haku's surprise, the rioting bathhouse workers froze and turned to the baby. "Put the fires out!" Boh commanded, and once again the employees obeyed, grabbing blankets and buckets with jerky movements. Chihiro, too, moved to join the workers; however, Haku grabbed her wrists and held her back, and once Boh saw her walking away, her eyes empty and her face blank, he added, "You can stay, Sen. Don't listen to me."

Life immediately returned to her eyes. "What's going on?" she asked, obviously confused from having found herself struggling against Haku.

"I'm fixing the bath house!" Boh replied enthusiastically. "Is this good, Sen?"

"Yes," she answered weakly. She glanced at the employees, who were mechanically smothering the fires, and swallowed hard. "Could we go see Ís now?"

"Of course," Haku said smoothly, taking her arm and steering her away from the unsettlingly scene. If he were honest with himself, it discomforted him as well: the employees must have sworn immediate, unquestioning obedience to Yubaba and her son. Well, that would change, Haku thought with a smirk. He'd destroy each and every the contracts.

But first Ís had to recover. When he and Chihiro reached the room, his heart sunk to find Zeniba crouched over a Ís's convulsing body, glowing charms in each hand. "Haku," she gasped. "I need to know what my sister did. Ís isn't responding."

Haku hurried to Zeniba side. "She shouted, 'Molotova eratz wie Elsa', and then Ís collapsed," he informed the witch.

Zeniba sighed. "I'd feared as much. That's dark, destructive magic. Lin, Haku, I'm going to need you to move away. Powerful magic requires a powerful counter-charm, and I don't want either of you caught up in it."

Haku nodded and Lin reluctantly let go of Ís' hands; the two moved back to the door where Chihiro stood. "She'll be all right," the human girl whispered. "Don't worry, Lin. Zeniba knows what she's doing."

But the spirit woman didn't answer, choosing instead to watch the witch like a hawk.

Seeing a frown flicker across Chihiro's face, Haku took her hand with his own. "You meant well. She's just too worried about Ís to appreciate it.

Chihiro nodded and leant against him. "I know. But it still hurts."

"It always does," Haku replied. "It always does."

Silence fell. The three stood in the doorway as mute and immovable as stone statues, all silently watching Zeniba. The witch had placed her solid gold seal upon Ís' forehead, and various charms that even Haku didn't recognise were strewn around the girl's body.

Then, Zeniba laid her hands on either side of Elsa's head took a deep breath, and began murmuring a steady stream of words so softly that Haku couldn't make out what she was saying. But suddenly, in the middle of the incantation, the witch coughed, took a deep, gasping breath, and began to wail. It was a thin, haunting cry, and before their eyes Zeniba seemed to wither and age: her hair thinned, her veins rose to the surface, dark blue and ropy, her skin paled and became liver-spotted, and her face lined itself with creases. But still Zeniba chanted.

And then Ís began to glow. At first, it was subtle, but as the minutes passed it grew and grew until Zeniba's chanting reached its climax and the light became blinding. There was a sudden flash, so bright that it left after-images in Haku's eyes. Once they had faded and Zeniba and Ís had come back into focus, Haku strode forward.

"Get away!" the witch snapped. Her hair was now a silvery-white and her skin seemed stretched, paper-thin over her brittle bones. "The magic is still strong!"

Haku jumped back. Finally, after eight long minutes, Zeniba called, "You can come closer, now."

Lin raced forward. "Oh Ís," the spirit woman murmured as she cradled the girl who lay there like the dead, barely breathing. "Ís, Ís, Ís. Zeniba, what did you do?"

"I stopped Yubaba's spell from destroying her," the witch answered with a tired sigh. "It attacked her innermost self, drawing power by her hidden name. Ís' true name is Elsa."

Haku crouched at the witch's side. "How did you do it?" he asked quietly. "And why did you do it? Ís stole from you."

"I neutralized the spell racing through her body," the witch replied. "And why? Because while she did steal from me, she also sacrificed everything for this bathhouse. She deserves to live, despite the cost." She flexed her gnarled hands, looking at them speculatively. "Thankfully, I won't be old for long. I've only depleted my magic; as time goes by, it'll replenish itself and I shall grow younger."

"Thank you, Zeniba." Haku laid a hand on Ís' forehead and murmured, "Heal, Ís."

Lin nodded, rocking Ís' limp body in her arms. "Ís, you never deserved this fate."

Zeniba drew close to the distraught spirit woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lin, not all hope is lost. Elsa could still awaken." Then she turned to Chihiro. "Chihiro, you must return to the Human World. Haku, destroy her contract, go with her to the pig pens, cure her parents with this charm, and take the Oginos back to the border. And don't worry about the parents; they won't remember us."

"But she will, right?" Haku asked, nodding at Chihiro. It pained him that they'd have to bid farewell, but it was probably for the best. She was still a child; perhaps in a few years she could understand their love. After all, sometimes loving someone meant letting them go…

"Of course," Zeniba replied. "Now, Chihiro, come hug your granny, then go and free your parents."

Chihiro complied, giving Zeniba a bone-crushing hug and murmuring, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Chihiro," the old witch said. "Now, go find your parents."

Chihiro nodded, then embraced Lin. "Goodbye, Lin."

"Sen, please don't go," the spirit woman said, her eyes shining. "I've already lost Ís. I don't want to lose you too, Sen."

"I have to go, Lin. My parents need me."

"I know, Sen. Just promise me you'll take care, okay?"

"I will," Chihiro replied with a sad smile. Those were the same words Lin had once said to Ís. "I promise. Goodbye, Lin."

Then Chihiro turned away, the tears in the corner of her eyes slowly spilling out. Haku led her away. When they'd finally left the room and the door had swung shut behind them, he murmured, "It'll be okay, Chihiro."

"I'm not crying," came the stubborn reply. "I'm just worried about Ís and wish I could have said goodbye and I'm leaving while she's almost dead! After all she suffered for us! I feel terrible!"

"We'll take good care of Ís," Haku promised, wiping a tear from her cheek. "And she wanted you to go home with your family. She wanted your family to remain complete, Chihiro. Her own family had abandoned her when she was a child; she wants you to have a happier ending."

Chihiro let out a choked sob and threw her arms around Haku, who enfolded her in a hug. "It's okay, it's okay," he comforted the girl. When she finally pulled away, he smiled reassuringly at her. "Feel better?"

"Yes," Chihiro replied. She smiled up at him with soft brown eyes, still shiny from crying, and then her face hardened with resolve. "Let's free my parents."

Haku chuckled. "First, let's free you," he said, gently disentangling himself from her. "Come on, Chihiro. We need to destroy your contract. Then we can worry about your parents."

….

The two trooped into Yubaba's study and, without the witch's intimidating presence, Haku realised it was a rather cozy place, though a tad too formal for his tastes. "We need to find the contracts," he said, tugging the apprehensive Chihiro in behind him. "Where do you think they could be?"

Chihiro's gaze flickered about the room. "I think she had my contract float to her desk," she ventured. "Maybe it's in one of the drawers?"

However, when Haku searched said drawers — and the desk, for good measure — he found nothing. Only files and forms and papers which were decidedly non-magical in nature. When he noticed Chihiro standing there awkwardly, wringing her hands, he gestured towards the fireplace. "Let's split up. Could you check the fireplace while I search the bedrooms?"

Chihiro nodded and Haku strode away; however, before he'd even gone twelve feet Chihiro's delighted cry sounded.

"Haku! I think I've found something!" The girl's face was split by the widest grin he'd ever seen as she staggered toward him, obviously struggling to keep from dropping a book. "Here, take this." She deposited it in his hands, and Haku almost fell over.

It was as if Chihiro had given him an anvil rather than a slender paperback. Haku hurriedly set it on the floor and cast a detection charm; unsurprisingly, the innocuous book was extended into another dimension — no wonder it had been so heavy! He flipped it open, smirking slightly as the title caught his eye: it appeared Yubaba had had a sense of humor, for emblazoned across the book's cover were the words 'What's in a Name?', and instead of pages there were sheafs and sheafs of paper. Contracts.

Chihiro's, being the most recent, was at the top, and Haku plucked it from the pile and brandished it aloft. "You were right, Chihiro!" he cried. "We've found it!"

"I can finally go home now," she murmured, her eyes wide. "We've done it."

Haku smiled, then sobered. There was more to do before she could leave. "We need to break your contract. Chihiro, pluck a strand of hair from your head and say, 'I, Chihiro Ogino, swear my owner, Yubaba, is dead, and she did not die by my hand; therefore, I nullify this contract'. Got it?"

"I think so," Chihiro replied, already pulling a hair out, which Haku then wrapped around the scroll. At his nod, she hesitantly recited, "I, Chihiro Ogino, swear Yubaba is dead and not by my hand; therefore, I nullify this contract." To Haku's surprise, the magic took even though she muddled a few words, the contract beginning to glow a deep, burnt orange.

It burst into flames, and within seconds the scroll was naught but a pile of ashes in his palm; at the sight, a wave of sorrow washed over him. Chihiro's last tie to the Spirit World was gone, and she had to leave now. Haku swallowed hard, then left Yubaba's room, leading her to the pig pens.

When they reached the pig pens, the swine were snorting and squealing as if they, too, knew that Yubaba had been defeated and were celebrating in their own, porcine, fashion. Amidst the horde were Chihiro's parents, who Haku easily identified. With a wave of his hand, his magic pulled them from the crowd and deposited them on the grass outside. "Chihiro, you should do this," he said, handing her the reversal charm. "Your parents will want to see you first." Chihiro began to protest, but Haku pressed Zeniba's charm into her hand and said, "It's very simple. Just draw a hexagon on their forehead with this charm, and they'll change back. Don't worry. I know you can do this."

Chihiro gulped, then nodded, then strode to her parents' side. Within seconds they were humans once again, and Haku watched as Chihiro launched herself at her parents, crying tears of joy and hugging them within an inch of their lives. He watched as Chihiro led them away towards the river, never letting go of their hands, her eyes shining. He watched as Chihiro explained to them what had happened, gesturing animatedly. He watched all of this, commiting it all to memory: she'd be gone so soon, and these happy moments would be a balm for his lonely soul.

Before he knew it, they'd reached the riverside and Haku was forced to come to an abrupt halt. Chihiro continued onwards, but once she realised he'd stopped she turned and ran back to his side. "Haku, what's wrong?"

"I can't go any further, Chihiro," he answered, his voice low. "I'm not mortal." He gave a sad smile. "Go on without me."

But Chihiro urged her parents to go on without her. "I'll be out soon," she told them, dimpling at them. "I just need to thank Haku."

"Okay, dear," her mother replied, patting her head and walking away.

"Just don't thank him too much, or Daddy'll be forced to beat him up," her father joked. But he, too, left at his wife's urging, leaving Chihiro and Haku at the riverside.

"I guess this is goodbye," Chihiro said softly, her eyes cast downward. She gestured to her parents, who were crossing the river rocks. "Will they even remember?"

"Probably not," Haku admitted. "But you will, Chihiro. You'll never forget, and neither will I. What we've shared was special." Haku grabbed her hand, holding it tight within his. "Look at me, Chihiro." She did, and he took her in, memorizing her every feature before saying, "We'll see each other again." He'd miss her so much. "I promise."

Chihiro nodded slowly, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something else, but then her parents called. "I should go," she murmured.

"Yes. I'll miss you, Chihiro." Her hand began to slide out of his. "Now go, and don't look back."

She left, and she never looked back. Haku was proud of her for it, but it also meant that she couldn't see him standing there on the steps, alone, his arm raised in farewell and tears trickling down his cheeks. _Goodbye, Chihiro._ She walked away, and took with her a piece of his heart; standing by and simply watching her leave was excruciating. But finally, Chihiro crested the hill and disappeared from view.

Haku stood alone on the stone steps. Her scent lingered in the air, though, and so he took a deep breath: if he closed his eyes, he could still imagine her standing at his side, laughing. But was only a temporary relief; a stray breeze quickly blew her scent away, as if the Spirit World were determined to cleanse itself of anything human.

Chihiro was gone. Completely and irrevocably gone. Sometimes, loving someone meant letting them go, and his only consolation, however small, was that she was too young to comprehend the depth of their love. But one day she'd understand and, when that day came, he'd be waiting for her. He was practically immortal; what were a few years? They'd be long and lonely, but it was a small sacrifice.

Haku stood alone, silhouetted against the empty sky. The wind urged him after Chihiro, but that was not where he was needed, so, with a heavy heart, he returned to the bathhouse.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 _School's out! Yay! And now, since I have more time, I'll (hopefully) be able to update more often! Sadly, though, the following chapters are a jumble of mismatched scenes, so getting them in order may take a while... still, tell me what you think! And happy end of the school year to you guys, too! :)_


	16. The Aftermath

Haku returned from the riverside with a heavy heart. Chihiro had rejoined the Human World and Ís was in a coma, struck down by Yubaba. Guilt roiled in his gut — he'd worked alongside the girl for an entire year, and he hardly knew her. His steps slowed.

But then his chin rose and a new light kindled his eyes. Ís had fought long and hard for the bath house, and he'd honor her sacrifice by shouldering that same burden. Though Yubaba was defeated, matters were far from settled, and the bathhouse would need a steady hand to guide it. When Ís woke, she'd be proud of the work he'd done.

With these thoughts in mind, he hurried back to the bathhouse. When he arrived there, everything was as he'd left it: Lin sobbed while cradling Elsa's limp body, and the human girl's skin was so terribly pale, almost the same shade as snow.

Haku knelt at Lin's side and laid a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay," he said gently. "Elsa will be fine."

Lin sniffled. "I hope she recovers," she replied. "No, I know she'll recover. Ís was too strong to let something like this stop her."

Haku nodded slowly, small tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He admired Lin's faith, but at the same time he knew such optimism was unfounded. Yubaba had been a dangerous, powerful witch. "Perhaps," he said simply.

"No." Lin's eyes were red and swollen with tears as she said, her voice breaking, "Ís will recover. She must."

Haku smiled sadly. "I want her too as well, Lin. Now, where are Zeniba and Boh? I need to talk to them."

"They're in the next room," she answered.

Haku nodded. He laid a hand on Elsa's head, marvelling at the thin, fine platinum strands that comprised her hair, then left the spirit woman. "Zeniba," he called through the door. "We need to talk about the future. Our future, and the bathhouse's."

A chair scraped against the ground, and Haku heard slow, ponderous footsteps as the witch approached. When the door finally swung open, Haku was shocked to find an elderly and feeble Zeniba before him, one with deep purple bags beneath her eyes and sagging skin. She said in a weary voice, "Do not forget Boh, Haku. Out of all of us, his fate is the most entwined with the bathhouse's."

Haku turned to face the child who sat in the corner of the room with the bird-puppet cupped in his hands. As if sensing his scrutiny, Boh met Haku's gaze and said quietly, "I'll need help to run the bathhouse."

This startled Haku, for Boh had spoken; in all his time in the bath house, he'd never heard the child utter a single word. Chihiro really had made him grow up. "And I'll be happy to offer it," Haku replied. "It's what Elsa would have wanted. Together, we'll root out the evil in the bathhouse."

"Do what you need to do," he replied.

"Yes," Zeniba said. "We'll need someone to take care of this place as Boh grows up. And there's no one I'd trust more than you, Haku. You know what we expect, and you've worked here for a year." Her eyes flickered to the door after she said this and Haku knew she was thinking of Elsa; Elsa, who lay unconscious on the other side of the door, who had spent five years in the bathhouse, who had practically grown up within these walls. Elsa would have been an even better choice.

But Haku still nodded, burying his sorrow. "I am honored to help."

Zeniba smiled. "Good. That's settled." Then her features fells and she said, "Once Elsa can be moved, she must come to Swamp Bottom. I'll need her nearby so I can continue healing her."

"Understood," Haku replied. "I'll release Lin from her contract so that she can help you take care of Elsa."

Zeniba shook her head. "No, there's no need, Haku. I'm perfectly happy to take care of Elsa alo—"

"No, you don't understand," Haku interrupted. "Lin will insist on staying with Elsa. She loves that girl with her entire heart."

"Oh. Well, then, I'll look into expanding my home. Between Elsa, Lin and No Face, it'll be positively packed. Plus, I expect you and Boh to visit often," she said with a wink.

"Of course," Haku replied smoothly. "Now Zeniba, if I'm going to run this bathhouse, I need to get the paperwork in order. Boh, come with me." Together, the two went up to Yubaba's study, sifted through her files, and began the slow transfer of power from Boh to Haku.

…...

Days passed.

After a few days, Haku had modified enough contracts that he, too, was an owner of the bathhouse. Boh did not have to shoulder the burden alone. Business returned to usual, and once again the bathhouse was making money hand over fist.

But still Elsa lay like the dead in her room.

Weeks passed.

Once her condition stabilized, Elsa was transported to Zeniba's house. Haku missed her quiet presence as he struggled to make his world a better place, but he satisfied himself with seeing her on the rare occasions he could snatch a break and fly down to Swamp Bottom.

Months passed.

The bathhouse had improved drastically, but for Haku it was a long, lonely life: after being released from their contracts, his friends had scattered to the four winds. Lin was with Elsa in Swamp Bottom, Kamaji had disappeared, and Chihiro—

Chihiro had returned to the Human World.

Years passed.

After three years, when Elsa was fifteen, coming up on sixteen, Haku was beginning to lose hope. She'd never wake now. Not after three years.

Now he flew down less often, and when he did so it was only for a brief visit, for he hadn't the heart to stay longer. Though years had been kind to her, she remained in her coma and Haku felt time were mocking him for having wasted the year they'd spent together. He was alive and free, but now she was dead to the world; he'd never get to tell her just how much he appreciated her sacrifice.

But then, one morning, he was presented with a chance to do just that.

The preceding night had been entirely ordinary, but as the sun rose the skull of Xinhua rattled and Haku picked it up with a long-suffering sigh. The relic's jaws clacked and the reedy voice of the foreman sounded. "Master Haku?"

"What is it?" Haku snapped.

"We have a guest here who wants to see you. Personally. He says his name is Kagwi."

Haku sat bolt upright in his chair. "Kagwi? The bamboo spirit?"

"Er, yes sir." The foreman seemed puzzled.

"Send him up," Haku commanded. Then he shut off the skull and began neatening his desk and called down to the kitchens for hot food; Kagwi disappeared three years ago and, since then, Haku hadn't heard anything about Elsa's old martial arts master. Chances were Kagwi hadn't heard about the bathhouse, as well, and Haku would have to break the news about the spirit's former pupil.

A knock sounded, and then a small girl, laden with a steaming tray, pushed open the door, bowed, placed the tray on the table, and retreated.

Haku frowned. She'd looked too much like Chihiro for comfort and it wasn't good to dwell on those memories. So instead he poured himself a cup of tea and stared at the fancy double doors, all the while envisioning how he'd tell Kamaji about Elsa's current state.

However, he didn't have much time to plan. Only a few seconds later, another knock sounded on the door. "Come in," Haku said.

But the spirit who entered bore little resemblance to the Kagwi Haku remembered. While three years had passed and Haku had known the bamboo spirit only briefly, this could not be Elsa's spry martial arts master. The spirit before him was bent and stooped, his extremities dry and yellow with age, seemingly on his deathbed. And then Kagwi cracked a small smile. "Haku, it is good to see you again."

"Likewise," Haku replied. He motioned for the spirit to sit and pushed a steaming cup towards him. "Have some tea. It'll do you good. There is much to discuss."

But Kagwi refused, his eyes flashing. "I can't. There isn't time, Haku! This is urgent! I've heard what happened to Ís and I must see her."

"She's at Zeniba's," Haku replied with a frown. "We can visit her tomorrow. It's already quite late and—"

"No. What part of 'urgent' do you not understand?" Now Kagwi glared at Haku. "Something's chasing me, and I need to see her _now_."

"Fine. I'll fly down to Zeniba's, and you can ride on my back. Just let me get everything in order, it'll just be a moment."

"We have to leave now," Kagwi insisted. "What don't you understand? This is a matter of life and death. We cannot be noticed."

Haku sighed, certain the spirit was exaggerating. Yet he capitulated and, after throwing open the balcony doors, the dark-haired boy was replaced by a grinning, pearlescent dragon whose scales shimmered in the early morning light. Kamaji vaulted onto its back, a beaten, previously unnoticed knapsack clutched protectively to his chest.

Haku then launched himself into the air and made haste to Zeniba's cottage, his muscles burning as he struggled to maintain his breakneck pace; Kagwi's last words had unnerved him more than he cared to admit, for who, or what, were they trying to avoid the attention of? With the sun already risen, efforts of concealment were in vain. Speed was of the essence.

And within minutes Haku was rewarded by the sight of Zeniba's cottage on the horizon. He was approaching quickly and landed in the front yard over deep gouges his sharp claws had dug into the earth, barely healed from his previous visits.

Kagwi immediately dismounted and ran to the door. However, it opened before he'd even crossed half the yard to reveal Lin. "What's going on, Haku?" she called, squinting at him in the morning sunlight. "You don't normally come this late."

Haku, now a boy again, replied, "I had a visitor who insisted on seeing Elsa."

Lin frowned. "Who?" She squinted and scanned the yard with for Haku's visitor, her eyes finally alighting on Kagwi. "Who are you?" she asked, addressing the bamboo spirit for the first time in months.

Kagwi drew near to Lin and shifted so the sun was no longer behind him, blinding her; now, it illuminated his face and form. "You don't recognise me?"

Lin took a startled step back. "Kagwi?" she said, her voice wobbling. "Is that really you?"

"Yes, it's really me, Lin," he answered. "I'm back and I have to get into Zeniba's cottage. Please move out of the doorway."

 _Slap!_ Lin slapped the bamboo spirit across the face. "That's for leaving Ís to Yubaba," she spat. "If you'd stayed, you could have saved her from this coma. She'd still be alive if it weren't for you!" She raised her hand again.

Kagwi nodded slowly at each accusation, but caught her wrist before she slapped him a second time.

"It is my fault. But is is not only my fault. We left it to Ís to fix the bathhouse — a human to fix spirits' mistakes! All of us should have done more." He sighed. "Including me. So I brought something to atone for my mistakes."

"There's no way," Lin said flatly. "Not anymore. She's been lying like the dead for three years now. It's too late."

Kagwi shook his head. "No. It's never too late. I've got to get to Ís, Lin. Please, move aside. I don't have much time." He glanced over his shoulder and shivered. "Zeniba's house is safe, but it's not that safe, and the yard isn't the best place for me right now. It's much too exposed."

Her eyes narrowed, Lin obliged. Haku made to follow the bamboo spirit, but as he passed Lin, she hissed, "What's going on?"

"I've no idea," Haku answered honestly. "But we can trust him. He only has Elsa's best interests at heart."

Lin snorted. "Right. Well, you show him Ís's room and I'll wake Zeniba. If anyone can make that spirit spill his secrets, it'll be her."

"Or you." At Lin's indignant sputter, he added, "With your womanly wiles! Just bat your eyelashes and toss your hair! Everyone knew you two liked each other. Even _I_ did, and I was under a control slug!"

"Well, I won't forgive him. I can't." She sighed, and Haku thought he detected defeat in her eyes. "Not unless Ís wakes." Then she walked away, presumably to fetch Zeniba.

"Keep following me," Haku told Kagwi as the spirit started after her. "We're almost there."

And indeed they were. Within seconds the two entered Elsa's room. Haku's eyes were immediately drawn to the figure lying on the Healing-Bed, its white-blonde hair spread like a fan over the pillow, its eyes shut, and its skin as pale and fragile-looking as porcelain.

"She's grown," Haku remarked.

"She certainly has." Haku turned to find Kagwi alongside him, intently studying Elsa's face. "The years have not been kind to her. She deserved much more than this." Kagwi placed his knapsack at Elsa's bedside. "And she will have it."

"Have what?" Zeniba asked. She drew close to the Healing-Bed, took one look at Kagwi, and said, "I've never seen you before."

Kagwi answered, "I'm Ís's old teacher and I'm here to heal her." He opened his knapsack and withdrew a weathered stone sphere, holding it reverently in his hands.

Zeniba's eyes grew wide. "How did you get that?" she asked in a strangled voice.

"I see you recognise it," Kagwi chuckled. "And that you know enough not to say its name. How wise. Your home is well-protected, but few can match the owner's wrath. I assume you know how to use it?"

"I do." The witch took the stone from Kagwi and cupped it in her hands. Eyes shut, she hunched over. After a few seconds, a blinding blue light shot out; while thin streams of magic flew towards Haku, Lin, and Kagwi, a veritable river rushed into Elsa.

Then, just as suddenly as it'd begun, the torrent of magic ceased. The stone's runes still glowed a faint blue, but, save for that, everything was as it was before. Silence enveloped the room.

And then Kagwi spoke. "While we wait for the stone's magic to heal Ís, I shall tell you my story.

"A year ago, I left the bathhouse. I couldn't teach Ís, not when I knew my teachings would help her steal. I began a new life far from the bathhouse.

"But then I heard of Yubaba's death, and of Ís's coma. Between asking around and consulting various arcane tomes, I realised what Yubaba had done to Ís. So, driven by my guilt I began a quest to heal her." Kagwi glanced at Lin, who stared at the bamboo spirit with an unwavering gaze, eyes shiny with unshed tears. "I finally stumbled upon the Radish Spirit. After paying his price, I discovered what artifact I must find to save Ís."

He sighed. "Now comes the part I am most ashamed of. Though I tried to bargain with the creature who owned this," Kagwi gestured to the stone sphere, "he refused to part with it. So I had to resort to other, baser methods. Stealing. I spent hours agonizing, but eventually I got up, grabbed my knapsack, loaded it with weapons, and left.

"It took months, but in the end I escaped with this stone. And now, Ís is healing at my side. I only hope she awakens before I pass; the Radish Spirit's price was steep. In exchange for information, I gave him my youth."

Lin gasped. "Is that why you're so old?"

"It is," Kagwi answered. "And I do not regret my decision. For Ís, no price was too steep."

Eyes now downcast, Lin said, "I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier, Kagwi."

"It's fine, Lin. At this age, it is difficult to hold grudges and I quite understand your anger. Only next time, could you not hit me so hard?" He turned so she could see the purpling handprint emblazoned across his cheek. "When you reach this age, nothing seems to heal."

Clucking, Zeniba said, "Honestly! You should have let me heal that! Come here. I'll fetch a salve and—"

"No!" Kagwi interrupted. "Look at Ís! Her eyelids are fluttering!"

Startled, Haku spun to face the human girl and was surprised to see that, indeed, she was beginning to wake. Chastising himself for having been overly engrossed in Lin and Kagwi's drama, he moved to her side and checked her heart rate. "It's a beat per second, Zeniba!" he cried.

"Really? That's better than it's been in years!" the witch replied. "I hope—"

But what she was to say was lost as Elsa began coughing, then hacking, then fighting to sit upright in her bed. Lin and Kagwi raced to her side to help her up; once she was propped against the pillows, her pale blue eyes fixed themselves on the bamboo spirit. "Kagwi?" she breathed. "Is that really you? You're so old… how much time has passed?"

He smiled. "Not as much as you think, Ís. It's been four years since we last met."

She stared at him, then glanced down and noted the changes to her body. "Three years," she said slowly. Her memories were returning, bits and fragments at a time. Lin kissing her forehead. Chihiro bidding her farewell. Being eaten by No-Face. Standing at Haku's side and facing a witch! "What happened to Yubaba?" she cried.

"She's dead," Haku answered in a low voice. "Dead with the knife to the heart."

"Then it was by my hand." Try as she might, Elsa couldn't feign grief.

"It was, and that's nothing to be proud of, young woman." Zeniba frowned at Elsa, then at Haku. "You're talking about my sister. Remember that."

"I'm sorry, Zeniba." Haku cut into the conversation, stepping between her and the witch, and for that, Elsa was glad. Her head was pounding as she struggled to come to grips with the past, which to her had only been seconds ago. Finally, she she took a deep breath.

"What happened while I was—" Here she paused, searching for the correct word, finally settling on, "asleep?"

"Haku runs the bathhouse," Zeniba answered, the harsh lines of her face softening. "Lin helped me take care of you. Chihiro returned to the Human World."

"That's it?"

"Yes. Though there is one thing I must ask you, Elsa, dear. When did you first come to the Spirit World?"

"On my eighth birthday," she answered, raising an eyebrow at Zeniba's strange question.

"And your sixteenth is fast approaching…" Zeniba trailed off, a faraway look in her eye. "Elsa, you soon will have to decide which World you want to stay in— permanently."

"What do you mean, Zeniba?" Elsa asked quietly, her brow furrowed.

"Weaker spirits and humans must reside in one World only. They cannot stay long in the other; if they do, they sicken and die. Only the young can survive, and even then not for long."

"But Ís has been here for _years,_ Zeniba. If she didn't belong to this World, she would know by now!" Lin protested. "And why does it matter?"

"When she turns sixteen, she must be ready for a visitor. And after that, she'll never be able to move between the Human and Spirit realms again."

"Really?" Elsa asked, her eyes wide.

Haku mistook the tremor in her voice for fear and sat on her bed, taking one of her hands in his own. "Don't worry, Elsa. When you decide to stay in the Spirit World, I'll find you a job in the bathhouse. I'd be happy to have you."

"Yeah! We could work together just like before, Ís!" Lin grinned. "Kagwi could come back with us too!" At the thought, even the aged bamboo spirit cracked a smile.

But at Elsa's pained expression, their grins slid off their faces. "Are you okay, child?" Kagwi said.

"I think so," Elsa answered. "This is just a lot to take in and— and— and I think I want to see my younger sister again," she finished in a rush, almost tripping over her words.

"I thought you hated your family!" Lin protested. "Please, Ís, we just got you back—"

"I can't, Lin." Elsa interrupted. "I wish I could stay, but I can't. This is my last chance to see Anna. This is my last chance to say goodbye."

Lin opened her mouth, doubtlessly to argue with her, but Haku glared at the spirit woman. "Don't," he said. "If she loves her sister that much, she must go and say goodbye properly. It's only right."

Zeniba looked at Haku, and unreadable expression in her eyes. "Well said."

"Yes. And Anna knows I'm coming. I had Chihiro deliver a note. Now I must go. I have to see my sister again!"

"Oh, we just got you back, Ís," Lin said sadly,tears shining in the corner of her eyes, "and already you're leaving us again…"

Zeniba stepped forward. "Be careful, Elsa. If you could wait a little longer to heal — as little as a couple of hours will make quite a difference. Anyways," she continued mysteriously, "the three of us have something we want to make you as a goodbye present. So stay here and rest. Okay?"

Elsa nodded in seeming agreement. But as soon as her friends had left the room, she struggled out of the bed and to her feet. She ate slowly and methodically, then began her stretches. She was halfway through — ignoring her joints and muscles' protests — when Lin poked her head in. "Ís! You can come out now. And I won't tell Zeniba you disobeyed her," she added with a wink.

Elsa grinned and followed Lin to the kitchen. There, she found her friends and, surprisingly, No-Face. "What's he doing here?" she cried.

"This is his home now," Zeniba answered. "Now, Elsa, this is for you."

In the witch's hand glittered a hair tie, blue as the sky itself, with silver strands woven into it. "Thank you," she said, looking at it in awe. It sparkled, catching the light and casting silvery glints over her hands. "It's beautiful."

"It's to protect you, now that your talisman has disintegrated," the witch explained. "Put it on."

Elsa did so. Then the witch took the girl's hands in her own. "Remember, do what makes you the happiest. Even if it's staying with your human family."

"I will, Zeniba."

"Good. Now, give me a goodbye hug. Then I'll start the portal." The witch embraced Elsa, murmuring into her hair, "Well done, child." Elsa smiled, squeezing her tighter. Then she pulled away, small tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Goodbye, Zeniba. Thank you for everything."

The witch hummed in response then began waving her arms wildly and muttering under her breath.

Kagwi came to her next. He embraced Elsa, and the girl whispered, "Thank you so much, Kagwi. You sacrificed your youth to let me live again. You've been like a father to me. I'll miss you."

Kagwi nodded. "And you've been like a daughter to me, Elsa. I should never have left. I was willing to give my life for you! My youth was nothing in comparison." Her chest constricting, Elsa tried to swallow the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat.

After giving Kagwi one last squeeze, she turned to hug Haku. "I'll miss you," said he; "You just returned, and you're already leaving. You're a stranger to me, but one who's done so much for both me and the bathhouse. I wish you'd stay, so I could know you better."

Elsa smiled sadly. "It's okay, Haku," she said, patting the boy's back. "From what I heard, you've done a lot of work of your own to fix the bathhouse. And I'll be back before you know it."

"Hopefully." He pulled away and placed a dagger in her hand. "Just in case you need it," he said. "It was one of your favourites."

Lin was last, waiting for Elsa with outstretched arms. With a choked sob, Elsa ran to the spirit woman, burying her face in Lin's shoulder and flinging her arms around her neck. "I'll miss you," she said quietly.

"Me too," Lin replied, stroking Elsa's hair. When she finally pulled away, she said softly, "Just don't forget us, okay?"

Elsa nodded. "Of course not," she answered. "I never forget my friends, especially not you, Lin. You were like a mother to me."

"Then I guess this is goodbye." Sniffling, she thrust a knapsack into the girl's hands. "I packed some food for you, Ís. Just in case."

Elsa smiled through her tears. "Thank you," she said, swinging it over her shoulder. "I'll miss you all very much. But I'll come back." She stepped towards the golden, glowing portal Zeniba had called into existence for her and waved one last time to her friends. "I promise."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 _I'm back! So sorry for the disappearance. I fell down the rabbit-hole which is Harry Potter fanfiction and it took me quite a while to find my way back to the surface. Please forgive me!_

 _That said, I must ask something of a certain guest reviewer. Please,_ _ **please**_ _stop making nasty comments about Ískristallar. Even if it's meant to be a compliment because my story "is loads better" it doesn't come off that way, and it quite upsets madamasharpless24601. Which in turn upsets me. If you want to leave helpful reviews, comment on your favorite part of the chapter! Or maybe your favorite character instead! Thanks :)_


	17. Arendelle

Elsa stepped through the portal.

Immediately losing her balance in the overwhelming swirl of colors and disconcerting shifts of gravity, she tumbled out the other side; her senses were on high alert, and she rolled as she fell to the ground, then sprung to her feet, her powers sparking at her fingertips and her knives drawn.

However, no one was there. She was alone, staring at empty shadows as the moon shone down with its clear and reassuring light, glinting on the waters and revealing a nearby castle. A castle which brought back a flood of memories. Arendelle.

"I'm home," she whispered in disbelief. Then she spun, ready to share her joy with Lin, Haku, Zeniba, and Kagwi; however, to her dismay, only an empty street met her eyes. The portal had already winked out of existence: she was home, but she was alone.

Shaking off her dejection, Elsa trudged towards the castle. Sunrise was only an hour away, and her garb was queer. The townsfolk would certainly look at her askance, and so it would be best for all involved if she left before the sky pinkened and the streets filled with the daily hustle and bustle of life.

When she arrived at the gate, two guards ran forward to block her way, clanking their pikes together to form an 'X'. "Ma'am," one of them stammered, his voice cracking, "You may not enter."

"Whyever not?" Elsa asked. She supposed she looked a fright wearing her bathhouse uniform, but _still_. She fixed the boy with a flat glare, then said, "I am the Princess of Arendelle. The castle belongs to my family and, in extension, me. I am allowed to enter."

The boy gulped. "But you're not Princess Anna!" he burst out.

The other guard chuckled, then gave Elsa a shrewd glance. "There were rumors…" he said slowly stroking his grey beard, "Stories of another Princess who disappeared." He lowered his pike and bowed to Elsa. When he straightened, he said, "You bear striking resemblance to Queen Iduna. Just please remember that it was lowly Duncan who first welcomed you into your kingdom. And Princess," he added as she entered the palace gloom, "you have aged well."

. . . . . . . .

As Elsa walked through the Palace, she had to blink back tears. This had been her home. This held eight years of cherished memories from back before her parents had abandoned her. Allowing herself to revel in the memories, Elsa was almost swept away by her emotions until she came to a pair of imposing double doors inlaid with gold: the doors to the throne room.

"Conceal, don't feel," Elsa whispered before throwing the doors open. A stunning sight met her eyes: the tall, aristocratic arches, the priceless artefacts, and the deep, plush carpet. But the most surprising part was the young man sitting upon the throne, royal scepter and orb in his hand.

Elsa gaped at him and must have made some noise because his gaze snapped up and he hurriedly put down the royal symbols of authority down as he slipped out of his chair. "Good morning, fair lady," he said, drawing close and dropping a light kiss on her knuckles. "May I ask how you got here?"

Elsa snatched her hand back. "Get away from me," she snapped. "You didn't belong in that chair. You don't deserve that orb and scepter. They are reserved for royalty only."

"Now, how would you know that?"

Elsa took a sudden step back, alarm bells ringing in her mind. Something about this man screamed danger — was it the gleam in his eyes, akin to that of Yubaba? Or the way his hand twitched over his hip, which was luckily devoid of a scabbard?

"Stay away from me," Elsa said frostily. "I don't know who you are, but I wish to see my parents. Take me to the King and Queen of Arendelle."

The young man raised an eyebrow. "Impetuous, aren't you?" At Elsa's narrowed eyes, he raised his hands in mock-surrender. "Fine, I'll take you to your 'parents'. Follow me." He strode towards the kitchen, Elsa following behind. When they reached the door to the dining room, he paused, glanced once again at Elsa, then knocked."Your Majesties, may I enter?"

Her father's voice called back, "Of course, Hans. You know we consider our son in all but blood. There's no need to be so formal! Come join our breakfast."

Hans smirked, as if that statement had proven he did indeed deserve to be in the throne room, sitting on the throne and holding the orb and scepter in his hands. "Agnarr, I only ask because I have a guest. May she come in as well?"

There was a pregnant silence, long enough for Elsa to wish to shuffle her feet — a desire she harshly clamped down on — until finally her mother replied, "Yes, she may come in. Just don't let Anna see this female guest of yours; she might get jealous." Chuckles sounded from the other side of the door.

Hans chuckled as well, then pushed the door open and strode in. After a second's hesitation, Elsa followed.

"Hello, mother. Hello, father," she murmured, suddenly too nervous to meet their eyes. Instead, she glanced around the dining area, taking in the fine linen tablecloth, the well-made wooden chairs which gleamed a burnished gold in the candlelight, the tasteful wall-hangings depicting ancient battles, the clay plates filled with pastries and the china pitcher filled with milk. Finally, her eyes came to rest on her parents, and the sight astounded her. They were old, with grey streaks in their hair and saggy, wrinkled skin; they had aged so much more than she'd expected. What happened? Had a spirit come after them in vengeance? Or did they find an artifact that stole—

Suddenly, she noticed the tears shining in her mother's eyes. "Elsa, is that really you?"

Elsa could only nod, her own throat closing up.

"Oh, Elsa!" Her mother ran to the girl and embraced her, stroking her hair and holding her close. "You came back. It's been so many years since your letter. Oh, I was so worried!" She fell, sobbing again.

Her father also stood, pushing his chair aside and placing a warm, reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Elsa," he said in his deep voice, sending shivers down the girl's spine. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed having a father figure in her life. "We've missed you, daughter. We are sorry. We truly do regret abandoning you before."

Tears came unbidden to Elsa's eyes; though she'd hated her parents, in the face of their love and their regret she may just find room in her heart to forgive them. Maybe, if her parents had realised their mistakes, she could stay here in the Human World. It'd be tolerable if they begged her forgiveness and understood the heartache they'd caused her.

Tears streamed down her cheeks and Elsa flung herself at her mother to bury her head in her mother's shoulder, overwhelmed by sheer joy — until she glimpsed the strange young man glaring at her with impotent rage. Under his glare, a frisson of discomfort ran down her spine and her mother's embrace suddenly felt stifling.

Her throat suddenly dry, Elsa disentangled herself from her mother and, snagged a mug, and poured herself some milk. After taking a sip, she asked, "Mother, father, may I have breakfast?"

"Of course," her mother answered. "You're probably starved after your travels. Take that seat there, dear."

Elsa slid into the indicated seat Her parents also took their seats, one on either side of her. Once they were seated, Elsa took a chocolate croissant and nibbled on it until her mother said, "Hans, won't you join us?" Then Elsa placed the croissant on her plate and prepared to verbally duel this antagonistic young man.

But contrary to her expectations, he seemed to swallow his pride. "Of couse I'll join you," Hans replied stiffly, settling into the seat across from Elsa. He buttered his toast with much more force than was necessary, a tense expression on his face.

However, Elsa didn't pay him much heed, instead focusing on her parents. "You must have questions," she said. "Go ahead and ask them."

Her father nodded. "Fair enough, daughter. I'll begin. Tell me, how are you so young?"

Elsa's brow scrunched in confusion. Of all things to ask, they'd chosen to focus on her youth? She'd assumed they'd ask about growing up with Yubaba, not about her age. She began to answer, but before she'd strung even two thoughts together, a redheaded young woman burst into the room. Said young woman must have been at least twenty, and Elsa almost snapped at her for having so rudely interrupted the Royal Family's breakfast — until Elsa realised this redheaded young woman was her sister Anna, and Anna was older than her; Anna was at least twenty, while she, Elsa, was just shy of sixteen.

Elsa could only stare in wonder as Anna marched up to her. "Who's that girl sitting in my seat?" the redhead demanded. She glared at Elsa. "Could you get out? This is a family breakfast."

After she overcame her shock, Elsa found herself singularly unimpressed. "Anna," she said flatly, her cold gaze meeting young woman's eyes. "You would do well to learn to be civil." She took a mechanical bite of her croissant, then added, "If this is a family breakfast, I certainly belong here." Silence fell, broken only by Anna's indignant sputters, until Elsa asked softly, "You don't recognise me?"

The question seemed to remind Anna of her audience, and the woman regained her composure. She squinted at the small blonde girl before her, then admitted, "No, I don't. Should I?"

"I'm your sister!" Elsa cried. She'd sacrificed everything for Anna, and yet Anna had forgotten her?

"My sister?" Anna recoiled. "There's no way! You're much too young! I'd remember if Mum and Dad had had a child. You're what, fourteen?"

"Fifteen, going on sixteen."

"Well, I'm almost twenty-one," Anna said, looking suspiciously at Elsa. "And if what you said was true, I would have been five or six when you were born. I think I'd have remembered _that_. You don't belong here."

Elsa began to retort that yes, she did indeed belong here, when her mother leant forward and laid a hand on her arm. "Wait," she murmured. "Allow your father to explain this to Anna."

Elsa's eyes flashed but she held her tongue, watching silently as her father drew Anna from the room, already talking in hushed tones, no doubt already explaining their hidden past. Surprisingly, Hans followed Anna out of the room, leaving Elsa and her mother alone at the table.

Her mother moved to butter her bread, but Elsa's flat glare stopped her. "Why doesn't Anna know my story?" Elsa demanded. "I sacrificed myself for her sake!"

"And endangered her in the first place," her mother muttered. Elsa tensed, and her mother hastened to add, "I didn't mean it like that, Elsa. I know it was an accident. You were young and couldn't control your powers."

Elsa relaxed. "Yes, I know. And I have learnt control now. Still, please refrain from mentioning that 'accident'. I hated you for abandoning me. I hated you for fearing my powers and, in extension, me." She sighed. "I still haven't quite gotten over it."

"Elsa, my daughter, we were so confused and scared." She raised a hand, forestalling anything Elsa might have said. "That's not an excuse; it's the truth. We allowed our emotions to rule us, and we shut you out. It was a terrible mistake and one we paid for dearly: we went to bed for years haunted by our little girl, all alone in the Spirit World. And we'd never see her again to tell her how sorry we were." Tears shone in her mother's eyes and her voice shook.

Elsa clasped her mother's hands. "It's okay. You've told me how sorry you are just now, and I wasn't alone in the Spirit World. I had Lin, Kagwi, Kamaji, Haku, and Chihiro. I made my own family there. Plus, if I'd stayed here in Arendelle, my powers would have destroyed the kingdom."

"Did that witch really teach you to control your power?" Startled by the deep voice, Elsa spun, scrambled to the side, drew a dagger and readied her powers, unconsciously chilling the air around her. Tensed and ready for combat, it took her a second to realise that it was her father who'd spoken. Once she did, though, she relaxed, sheathed her dagger, and sank back into her seat, ignoring the stunned silence and answering glibly, "Yes, she did teach me control. Among other things. Now, why don't we begin breakfast? Travelling always makes me hungry."

"Of course, dear." Her father took his seat, and Hans followed suit. Anna glanced at the table, then shrugged and settled herself into Hans's lap, nonchalantly taking a piece of toast.

Elsa's jaw dropped. "Anna," she said, aghast, "What are you doing? Get off him!"

Anna took a bite of her toast, then replied casually, "But Hans here," she pressed a kiss to his jaw, "he's my boyfriend!"

Hans chuckled. "I'm a bit more than a boyfriend, love." He looped an arm across her waist, pulling her against his chest. "Aren't we engaged?"

Elsa frowned. "You two aren't married yet," she complained. She turned to her parents. "You two are okay with this… display of affection?"

"Don't worry about it," her father replied. "I rather think of Hans as the son I never had. I trust him with my life. He'd never go beyond the bounds of propriety with my daughter. Plus, they're to be married in a week, and I remember how crazy I was about my bride then!" He winked at Elsa's mother, who blushed slightly, then added, "The wedding's in a week; Elsa, do you want to be your sister's maid of honour?"

"But— but—" Anna sputtered. "I thought Christine was going to be my maid of honour! She'll be heartbroken!"

"Christine's fine," said her mother, a steely glint in her eye, "but Elsa is your sister. She deserves the spot much more than your best friend."

Elsa bowed her head. "I understand if Anna doesn't want me. After all, I've been gone a long time." She and Anna had gotten off to a rocky start, and she'd hate to worsen their already delicate relationship.

"No." Her mother's vehement refusal surprised both girls. "Elsa sacrificed herself for you when you were very young, Anna. She deserves to be part of your wedding."

Anna seemed as if she were about to protest more on the behalf of this Christine person until Hans laid his hand over hers. "Let it lie, love. Elsa is your sister, and it is traditional for sisters to be in the wedding procession. And she won't be a problem for much longer."

Despite his bland tone, the words sent a chill down Elsa's spine, but her parents seemed unbothered.

Breakfast concluded quickly after that, with Elsa's father making hasty excuses to leave and cloister himself in his study. Anna, Hans, and Elsa's mother retired to the sitting-room to plan the wedding; Elsa joined them at her mother's insistence and soon came to regret her decision. It was interminable. She sat there trying desperately not to doze off as they quibbled about the colour of centerpieces, the parade through town, and the seating arrangement that'd been thrown into a disarray by her sudden appearance.

But when the conversation turned to refitting Christine's dress so that the new maid of honor, Elsa, could wear it, Elsa sleepily opened one eye.

And then shot out of her seat. "I can't wear that!" she protested, eyeing the shapeless, frilly, pink blob before her. "I just can't!"

"Oh, but you'd look great in it!" Anna replied with a forced smile.

Hans chuckled. "Stop lying through your teeth, love." He plucked the offending garment from her mother's hands and held it against Elsa as if imagining how it'd look on her. "Yes, this will never do. Could you imagine her standing there next to you looking like _this_?"

Anna grimaced. "You're right. Christine never had great taste. So it seems you'll be needing a new dress, Elsa. What colour do you want?"

"Preferably something blue," Elsa answered immediately. "If that's not too much trouble."

"Of course not, dear," her mother answered. "You'll have to be fitted on the wedding day, though. But we'll send a small army of seamstresses, so don't worry. It'll work out."

"Thank you, mother." Elsa kissed her mother on the cheek, then said, "May I go?"

"I'd much prefer you remain and help us plan the wedding, Elsa. It is, after all, your sister's wedding."

Elsa bowed her head, prepared to do as her mother asked, but help came from an unexpected quarter: Anna. "Oh, she's probably exhausted from travelling through the night," her sister said. "Let her rest. I don't mind if she's not here to help us decide who sits next to the Duke of Weselton. It's not like she even knows the old bore."

"Fine. Elsa, you are excused."

"Thank you." She left the room quickly before her mother could change her mind and made a beeline for the Great Hall.

And when she entered it, she could do nothing but stare at where Anna had fallen all those years ago. This was where she'd hurt her sister. This was where everything had begun. Eight years ago, she'd never have imagined this future. Anna older than her? It was ridiculous, but it was true.

After kneeling and inspecting the floor for the heart-stopping scene from years past, Elsa rose and exited the room. Simply being there forced her to remember Anna's cold, unconscious form and to relive the terror she'd felt. But now she'd paid her homage to the past, and so she would retire to her room and rest. Travelling between the Spirit and Human Worlds was exhausting, and she suspected that at lunch she'd need her energy to verbally spar with Hans.

. . . . . . . .

That afternoon, the family met again for lunch and Elsa was shocked to find Hans pleasant, charming, and even rather courteous in his treatment of her. She remarked as such, but he simply smiled and replied, "I am often told my manners improve with time. Think nothing of it."

But Elsa did.

Yet his pleasing behavior never wavered. He was a perfect gentleman after that, though she could never understand why, nor even guess what had caused such a change.

After a few days, she accepted it and threw herself into planning her sister's fast approaching wedding. She pushed the matter from her mind and instead created timetables, helped her mother organise the servants, oversaw the decorations, and before she knew it, a week had passed and the wedding was upon them.

She was woken at dawn by a rap on her door. A note was pushed under her door and, after reading it, Elsa opened her window wide and jumped to the ground below, using her powers to cushion her fall.

She slunk around the grounds, feeling much as if she were on another mission for Yubaba. The crisp paper of the note summoning her to the third room in the East Wing, put in her hand by some mysterious party, only served to reinforce that impression. So when she heard voices approaching, she immediately ducked into a nearby hedge and stood silently as three guards marched past. She was Princess of Arendelle and had every right to be on the grounds, but perhaps it was best she'd hidden. After all, the guards may have escorted her back to her room.

Once the patrol passed, Elsa stepped out of the bush and quickly located the correct window. After glancing around her, Elsa created an icy staircase, climbed it, and rapped on the glass window. "Anna?" she said softly. "I know you're in there."

The window flew open. Anna gave her a huge hug, pulling her into the room, crying, "Elsa, help me! I'm so scared! It's my wedding day and it's supposed to be the happiest of my life but I'm terrified! Why would Hans want to marry _me_?"

"Because you're beautiful," Elsa answered honestly. "And he wants you at his side forever."

"Yeah, but what about when I'm old and grey and ugly?" Anna wailed. "Once he realises that he'll run far away from me. What if he decides to elope with some girl? What if he calls off the wedding?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Anna. You two have been dating for nearly five years! He wouldn't leave you now." She regarded her nervous sister with a cool gaze, then placed her hands on Anna's shoulders. "Calm down. It's going to be okay. Your wedding will be perfect." How strange it was to comfort her younger sister, who was now five years older than her and getting married.

Anna took a deep breath. "Yes. You're right. I can do this. Thank you, Elsa."

"You're welcome. What else are sisters for?" she replied flippantly. "Now, I should go before the seamstress gets to my room, finds it empty, and cancels the wedding because the maid of honor has disappeared."

Anna giggled. "That would be terrible. Goodbye, Elsa! I'll see you at the wedding."

"And I, you," Elsa replied before leaping out the window.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 _For those wondering, the King and Queen left Arendelle decided to postpone their departure after receiving Elsa's letter, so TA-DA!_ _They're not dead._

 _Also, I understand the decision to bring Elsa back to Arendelle may have upset some people, but I felt I had to. This crossover barely touches on Frozen, and anyways, our protagonist has more to do ;)_


	18. The Wedding

The wedding was beautiful but terribly boring. For all of Anna's anxiety, everything went smoothly: everyone proceeded down the aisle without tripping or any other terrible mishap; the wedding guests, mostly snooty ambassadors, were duly impressed by the decor and made admiring noises; the priest stood there droning on about faith and love and honor, and he wasn't drunk nor tipsy (though why Anna had stressed about that, Elsa wasn't sure).

As she watched her sister, she admitted that moments like these made everything worth it. Anna practically glowed with happiness, and all those years she'd spent under Yubaba's thumb, and then in a coma, were vindicated by her younger sister's existence. If she was faced by the decision again, Elsa had no doubts as to what she'd choose: Anna's life. She just wished she hadn't been forced to choose in the first place… what would have happened had the trolls been able to heal Anna themselves, and the Royal Family hadn't had to beg Yubaba's help?

But her thoughts were interrupted by Anna and Hans exchanging rings and the priest crying, swaying only slightly from side to side, "You may now -hic- kiss the bride!"

With a squeal, Anna threw herself at Hans, seeming as if she were about to burst with joy; he caught her up in his arms and kissed her as if his life depended on it.

Elsa was unable to suppress a smirk; for all of Anna's admonitions about being proper and looking dignified in front of the guests, she was now doing the one thing that even her liberal mother and father, who ignored most of the strict social etiquette, had warned against: public displays of excessive affection.

After the searing kiss, Hans held up his and his bride's arms and cried, "To the banquet hall, where we may toast the lovely bride!"

An appreciative murmur swelled throughout the room as the guests streamed into the adjoining hall, where the servants had already set the twenty-two long, rectangular tables. Elsa took her seat at the high table to the left of her mother as the footmen began to serve the meal.

"It is a lovely banquet, is it not, Lady Elsa?" the young man sitting across from her asked as she cut her meat.

"It is."

He floundered, then said, "I heard you just returned from a trip? Where did you go?"

"Far."

No doubt put off by her curt answers, yet drawn onward by the dream of the crown, he continued, "Then it must be a relief to be home."

Another, the Prince of some island or another who sat on her left, added, "Yes, after having been gone for so long. Why did you leave?"

Was he Hans's brother? Elsa asked herself. Well, she wouldn't risk antagonising one of her new brother-in-laws. "I was fostered," she explained, letting the lie her mother had provided roll of her tongue. "But I've returned for my sister's wedding."

"And are you here to stay?" the first said eagerly.

"Possibly."

The conversation continued with both men pressing Elsa for details of her upbringing as she tried to redirect the conversations to their families. But, as the subject turned to their respective kingdoms, the second asked, "Since you've returned, are your parents thinking of passing the crown to you?"

"I believe so, yes," Elsa replied frostily. "Unless, of course, I decide to leave again." Elsa favored who she supposed to be Hans's brother with a small smile.

He reddened under her gaze and glanced around; after noticing the orchestra playing, he jumped to his feet, bowed to her, then asked formally, "May I have this dance?"

Suddenly suspicious of his sudden interest, Elsa refused. "No, thank you."

"Please, I insist."

But her resolve was firm, and eventually he made his excuses and walked away in search of another partner.

However, his request only marked the beginning of countless invitations to dance, all of which Elsa politely declined. No doubt the men were salivating over the prospect of marrying the Princess and being third in line to the throne of Arendelle — the greedy glint in their eyes reminded her too much of Yubaba and the bathhouse employees for comfort.

As her gaze wandered over the crowd, taking in the swaying couples, Elsa took a sip of the spiced wine before her — only to spit it back out at the crippling pain which emanated from her wrist. Glancing around, she was relieved to discover the guests were too inebriated to notice.

But her mother had seen. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," Elsa replied distractedly while plucking at the light blue hair band on her wrist, half-hidden under the thin silver bracelets she was wearing at Anna's request. She'd ruffled a few feathers, but certainly not enough for anyone to _poison_ her.

Yet there were no other reasons why her hairband, a protection charmed by Zeniba and all her friends in the Spirit World, would sting.

Elsa raised the glass to her lips once again; this time, though she tried to keep her face impassive as she let it swirl over her lips, she broke into raucous coughs.

That settled it. Someone had poisoned her wine. Elsa wrapped her fingers around the wine glass and brought it to her lips once more, her eyes scanning the room. Her mother was watching her, worry in her eyes; Hans, too, was watching her intently. Meanwhile, Anna was glaring at her… was that jealousy smouldering in her eyes? Swinging her gaze to encompass the entire room, not just the high table, Elsa realized that the dancing had ceased and everyone was watching her with varying expressions — fear, worry, shock — on their faces.

Elsa smiled and waved weakly. "I'm fine," she coughed. "Just a little bad wine."

Within seconds the buzz of conversation had settled again over the ballroom, as if nothing had happened; however, Elsa saw her mother place her glass down too, with a grimace as she whispered something to her husband.

Finally, as it approached the wee hours of the morning, the dancing wore down and the trickle of guests leaving transformed into a flood. Before long, only the Royal Family remained — even the servants had left, for they'd been dismissed early to enjoy the commoners' festivities.

Hans and Anna tottered back to the high table. "Thank goodness that's over!" Anna cried. "My feet are _swollen_ and my cheeks _hurt_ from standing and talking and smiling so much!" She collapsed into a chair, and Hans took the one on her left.

"Just be glad we've paid our due to all those nosy nobles." He leant over and wrapped an arm around Anna's waist, pulling her close to him. "And now, love, we're finally married now."

"Yes," Anna sighed, leaning into his embrace.

Elsa's father chuckled. "Oh, to be young again." He eyed the two, then added, "Well, I know you don't want to stick around with us! It's your wedding night! Go! Enjoy yourselves!"

Anna grabbed Hans' hand and pulled him from the room. Meanwhile, Iduna looked reprovingly at her husband. "Really, dear, that was a rather crude." Then she smirked. "I'd hoped to embarrass them a bit more before they left."

Agnarr burst into laughter, and even Elsa couldn't help but giggle. When the laughter finally wound down, Agnarr took one more swig of wine from a nearby table and pecked his wife's cheek. "It's getting quite late," he said, glancing at his timepiece. "Shall we turn in?"

Elsa nodded. While it had been fun to have stayed up most of the night, the party was over now and it was time to sleep. She slid out of her aching heels — how anyone walked, let alone danced, in these monstrosities was beyond her, and said to her parents, "I'm going to bed."

"Good night," her mother replied. "Or should I say good morning?"

Her father yawned, "Just say 'sleep well'. And perhaps we can do this again in a couple of years. I saw you dancing quite often with the Archduke of Weselton!" he added with a wink.

Elsa couldn't stop a grimace. "That's because he was remarkably persistent!" she protested.

"Whatever you say," her father replied, waving away her objections. "But if you ever need our approval for marriage, we'd be happy to provide it. We do love you, Elsa. Now, off to bed."

Elsa embraced him and her mother, bearing her father's kiss on the cheek stoically, then opened her door. A few quick steps had her in her bed, and after that it was a simple matter to shrug out of her gown, throw her shoes away, and lie there above the covers in a simple shift. And before she knew it, she was asleep.

Only to be awakened hours later by the squeak of a floorboard _right by her bed._ Elsa's eyes shot open. Above her stood two masked men, one of which held a short knife which glistened in the faint moonlight. Elsa's blood ran cold. Poison.

The assassins surely saw the horror on her face. The one holding the dagger chuckled, and his companion elbowed him. "Shut up!" he hissed. "This is bad! _He_ said that they'd be sedated!"

Elsa rolled away on her bed to the other side from the assassin, falling to the floor in a cat's crouch. Then she rose to her feet. "Boys, you don't know what you're dealing with." Her powers sparked over the skin, exuberant they were being used after having been repressed for so long, and she glowed faintly in the dim room. Then, in one explosive motion she sent clumps of ice at both men; however, she only succeeded pinning the dagger-holding men to the wall. His companion proved to be more tenacious with quicker reflexes.

But in the flick of her wrist she had him on the floor, icicles pinning his clothes to the carpet. Stalking up to the helpless man, she conjured an icicle and, pressing it against his throat, hissed, "Who sent you?"

However, he only muttered out of the corner of his mouth, "Damn, these royals were supposed to be easy to kill."

"Who sent you." Elsa repeated. Then the full meaning of his words stuck her. "Royals?" She hastily coated both men's feet in a thick layer of ice, then sprinted from the room to her parents.

But she was too late. The windows were thrown open, the curtains blowing in the wind, and the cold moonlight shone through to reveal her parents' pale bodies lying in their bed, their sheets soaked with blood. "No." Her parents. Her parents had been killed— no, they'd been murdered. Elsa backed out of the room, her hands scrabbling against the door knob, and when it finally clicked she turned and fled, crying, "No, not now, not now, I just got to know them!" She sobbed against the wall, then paused as something horrifying stuck her. "Anna!"

"Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please be alive!" she muttered as she dashed to her sister's room. When she got there, she threw open the door.

Which was a mistake. Anna and Hans were sleeping peacefully in the bed, but at the sound of the door they jerked awake.

"What's going on?" Hans asked, pulling Anna closer to him.

"Mother, Father," Elsa gasped, relief coursing through her and the horror of the situation really kicking in. "Anna, they're— they're— they're— they're dead!" she finished with a sob. "They were murdered!"

Elsa broke down, falling to her knees and sobbing, not caring that Anna and Hans were watching with wide eyes. For all her hatred before, her parents were indeed good people and now for them to be so cruelly taken from her… why hadn't she wished them good night? Why hadn't she kissed her father back, or whispered she loved them?

She'd been cold, like an ice queen, like Yubaba's apprentice, and now she regretted it.

Unbeknownst to Elsa, the ground beneath her feet was slowly being covered by creeping ice as she grieved. But Anna noticed. The redhead slipped out of bed, hurriedly pulled on a robe, and ran to comfort her sister. "It'll be okay," Anna murmured as she embraced Elsa. "Don't worry. Now, please calm down; it's getting cold."

Elsa's head rose and when she saw snow was beginning to drift down from the ceiling, she mumbled, "Sorry." _Conceal, don't feel._

"Thanks." Hans had appeared at her side. "Now don't worry about anything, Elsa. Anna and I will take care of everything. What do you know about the assassins?"

Her voice steadier, she answered, "Hans, the assassins are in my room. I trapped them in there." She took a gasping breath and began to rise. "We need to interrogate them."

Hans motioned for her to stay on the floor. "Elsa, you're distraught. Let me do it instead. Anna, would you stay here with your sister?"

Anna nodded. "I'd be happy to," she said, squeezing Elsa's hands. "Go ahead, Hans."

Hans hurried from the room, leaving Elsa gasping and sobbing and hiccoughing while Anna rubbed her back. Although it was soothing, Elsa sensed Anna was worried about her husband: the redhead was fidgeting, tapping her fingers and clucking her tongue as she comforted her older sister.

That would never do. Hans was as much a member of the royal family as herself and Anna, and now he was alone and vulnerable. What if there was a third assassin? The thought made Elsa's blood run cold — she may dislike Hans, but that didn't mean she wished him dead.

 _Conceal, don't feel_. Hide the grief. _Don't let them in_. Shutter the pain. _Don't let them see._ Forget the heartache, the regret, the sorrow. _Put on a show._

When Elsa spoke again, her voice did not waver. "Anna, let's join Hans."

Joy flitted across Anna's face, only to be replaced by a suspicious look. "Are you sure?" her sister asked. "You were pretty upset just a couple min—"

"I'm sure." Elsa's voice was calm and her face impassive. "I can face our parents' murderers."

Anna nodded. Together, the two women rose and tottered from the room, down the hallway, and into Elsa's room.

Although Elsa had expected to see Hans crouched over the assassins, quietly threatening and interrogating them, it did not prepare her for the markedly different sight that met her eyes — Hans was crouched at their feet, pounding at the ice, desperation shining in his eyes, as if were trying to chip it away?

"Hans?" Anna cried. "What are you doing?"

Hans started away. "Oh, I was merely interrogating him."

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "Then why were you trying to break the ice?" she asked frostily.

Hans looked her straight in the eye and answered, sincerity oozing from his voice, "I was threatening him, since he wouldn't talk."

At the statement, Elsa raised an eyebrow but let it pass. "They'll be thrown in the dungeons. Then, they'll be interrogated by professionals and— and— and then we'll find the ones who or-ordered them to kill my p-p-parents," she choked out, her dam breaking once again and the grief, bitterness and rage pouring forth uncontrollably.

"It's okay, Elsa," Anna said, catching her sister's hand, tears in her own eyes. "They weren't only your parents. They were mine, too."

"And mine," Hans added, laying a hand on each of the woman's shoulders. "They were briefly mine, and I wish I could have had more time to know them." He rubbed his forehead. "Elsa, Anna, if you don't mind, I'll arrange their funerals. I know the wounds must still be fresh and they need time to heal: while you grieve, I will run the kingdom."

Anna immediately embraced her fiance — no, her husband — laying her head on his chest and leaving Elsa no choice but to acquiesce. While she had no experience as queen or even as princess, and the populace at least recognised Hans, something still felt wrong. But having no way to frame her objections, Elsa only faked a smile and said, "Thank you, Hans, for your kindness."

"It's my pleasure," her brother-in-law replied. He pressed a kiss to Anna's forehead, then murmured, "Why don't you two rest? I'll sleep outside the door, and you two here in this room; I know Elsa can protect you, Anna, and that's the most important thing. I'm having trouble trusting anyone after tonight, even the palace guard. But one can always count on family."

…..

"... Here we lay King Agnarr and Queen Iduna to rest. They shall be missed." A moment of silence followed the minister's words and everyone, Elsa included, bowed their heads. Tears slipped out from between Elsa's lashes and ran down her cheeks. "Now, Prince Hans wants to say a few words."

Elsa's eyes snapped up at this deviation from their prepared script and she watched with narrowed eyes as Hans trudged up to the dias. When he got there, he began to praise the work her parents had done, finishing with: "And Arendelle shall mourn its loss." Then he took a deep breath. "However, Arendelle must also look to the future, which it must meet with a strong, capable leadership. I know I will never be King Agnarr, but please accept me as your King and Anna as your Queen. Our coronation shall be in a month. Thank you. " With that he left the stage, and was flocked by the nobles, the press, and the peasants.

Elsa turned to her sister who sat wide-eyed next to her. "Anna, what's going on?" she hissed. "Hans can't be king! I'm the first born. I'm heir to the throne."

"Well, we—" Anna stammered, "We-"

"We?" Elsa interrupted, her eyes flashing. "We?" she rolled the word around on her tongue. "You and Hans were conspiring behind my back? You traitor!'

"Elsa!" cried Anna. "I wasn't. I swear I wasn't. I didn't know he was going to announce this today at mom and dad's funeral. Yes, we'd talked about the future, but who wouldn't? I didn't think he'd act without me, though," she murmured softly.

Overcome by guilt, Elsa laid a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I'm sorry for blowing up at you, Anna. The funeral is difficult for all of us. It's just that… I don't trust Hans."

"Well, I do," Anna replied. "I trust him with my life and there's no one better to run the country. I know growing up in that bathhouse must have been hard, Elsa, but please, you're taking this too far. Now, I need to be there at my husband's side."

Elsa watched her sister walk away to stand and smile at Hans's side, the feeling of dread sinking through her.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0


	19. Discoveries

Elsa awoke early to the soft glow of dawn. Drained from the funeral, she slowly made her way to the dining room. But as she did so, she caught a glimpse of Hans scurrying in the opposite direction, dodging shadow to shadow as if he expected someone to catch and castigate him.

Suddenly suspicious, Elsa glided after him, drawing on her experience as a thief to remain out of sight.

After many twists and turns, Elsa came to realise she'd never seen this part of the castle before. It was deep in the ground, the air cold and clammy, yet as she continued the number of guards standing at attention seemed only to increase. Where could Hans be going? The wine cellar? She doubted that simplistic explanation, though she hoped it were true.

He dismissed the guards, who marched past her in their shiny uniforms, making her shrink into the shadows. Then, he took a key off the wall, used it to unlock a door, ducking inside and leaving it ajar. Only once Elsa was certain he wouldn't come bursting out did she slink to the open door, pressing herself against the wall to eavesdrop.

And what she overheard justified her worst fears.

"—I tried!" a reedy voice protested. "You didn't warn me that the other princess was a warrior! You'd need twenty assassins to kill her!"

Hans's smooth voice had an undercurrent of menace as he said, "Let's keep it down now, shall we? We wouldn't want the entire palace to know that I arranged the murder of my in-laws. That'd certainly go over badly. And it'd be quite… unfortunate for you, too."

Elsa gasped, backing away from the door. She'd heard enough. Hans had hired the assassins to kill her and her parents? Horrified, she turned to run, but Hans stepped out the door. "Well, well, well," he said, fixing her with a predatory gaze. "What is this? I thought I'd heard a little mouse at the door, and it turns out I was right. Any last words, Elsa?" he drew his sword, which he'd taken to wearing since the murders.

Shell-shocked, she could only stammer, "How could you, Hans? You're married to Anna!"

He gave a self-satisfied smirk. "I don't care about Anna. I just wanted the throne. I've always wanted the throne. And while it's a pity I have to kill you now, it was going to happen regardless." He lunged suddenly at her, but, acting purely on instinct, Elsa dodged and retaliated with a spray of ice which his hand to the wall.

Then, after forcefully tamping down her emotions — for the ice trapping Hans on the wall was beginning to creep over his body — she fled in search of her sister. Anna had to know the truth about Hans.

She found Anna breakfasting.

"Anna," Elsa hissed, startling her sister by grabbing her hand. "Please. Listen to me. Hans killed our parents! He was the one who sent the assassins! Throw him in jail. Tell me you'll do it, Anna!"

"No! I won't!" Anna cried, yanking her hand from Elsa's. "I don't believe you; I can't believe you!" She glared at her elder sister, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Hans would never do such a thing. He's a better man than that!"

"I want to believe that, too," Elsa said softly, laying a hand on Anna's shoulder, hurt flickering in her eyes when Anna flinched at her touch. _Conceal, don't feel._ "But I can't. I owe it to our parents to punish their murderers, and Hans is acting… suspiciously."

Anna frowned. "He is acting differently," she admitted, "but he's been really busy running the kingdom. It's probably just the stress. After all, it's hard to be the King!"

Elsa sat down at the table and narrowed her eyes at her sister. "And what if that's why he ordered their deaths? To take control? To win the crown? That'd be why they were murdered on your wedding night!'

"Or maybe those killers weren't able to enter the castle until our wedding night when security wasn't so tight," Anna snapped. Then she took a deep, shuddering breath. "Elsa, we can't do this. We can't tear ourselves apart. If you have anything else to say, you'll say it to both myself and my husband." With that she left the room, head held high, never once looking back.

And Elsa watched her go, dread coiling in her gut. This was wrong, but it seemed she'd have to fix it alone. She began to rise, to chase after Anna, when someone else stepped into the room.

"That didn't work out too well, did it." Hans's voice was smug from where he leaned against the doorway. Peeling himself off and stalking forward, he whispered into Elsa's ear, "Anna loves me. I'm handsome, clever, witty, and what's more, King of Arendelle. What's not to love?"

"The fact that you're also a thief, liar, and murderer," Elsa retorted, shoving him away.

"Tsk tsk, such bold accusations." Hans seated himself across from Elsa, staring intently at her. "But you're quite right; however, I'm too clever for my own good. I'm not getting caught. You think those assassins will stay in jail? You think those investigators will ever find the killer?" He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, and Elsa flinched away from his touch. "I enjoyed plotting your parents' deaths, and I'll adore planning yours. And then, afterwards, maybe Anna will suffer some tragic accident…"

 _No_.

Hans would kill the entire Royal Family? She didn't doubt him, yet his arrogance made her angry, and anger was never conducive for good decision making. _Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. Conceal don't feel conceal don't feel don't feel don't…_

But her chant was to no avail. Anger bubbled deep within her, the red-hot rage threatening to boil over any second, which even her icy powers could not temper or cool. She glared at Hans and said in a low, barely-controlled voice, "You scum. You throne-stealing traitor. You belong at my feet, six feet under, not King. You don't deserve my sister. You don't deserve my Kingdom. You deserve a small wooden box and six feet of dirt." Then she thought of sweet, innocent Anna soon to be fooled and corrupted by this man before her, and her kingdom under his rule, and her tenuous control snapped.

She was terrified for her sister and for her kingdom.

A storm rose unbidden, and at its center stood the princess. She drew in the ice, the snow, the cold horror in a desperate attempt to rein in her emotions — _conceal, don't feel_ — but it was impossible; feeling as if she'd burst from emotion, she expelled all her fear and her loathing and her anger at Hans, watching the solid beam of blue-white light stab him in the chest.

For a few precious moments, her world was silent, giving Elsa a chance to realise what she'd done.

Then, too soon, came a muffled gasp from behind her. Elsa spun to find Anna there, aghast, and relief blossomed in her chest until she saw that Anna's horror was directed at _her_ , not at Hans. "How could you?" Anna gasped before running to Hans's side, whose hair was already whitening and skin frosting over. "I know you didn't like him, but to do this…"

"Anna, he admitted to murdering our parents!" Elsa shouted, laying a hand on her sister's shoulder in an attempt to comfort, but Anna jumped away as if she'd been burned.

"No! You're just jealous. And crazy. And power-hungry, greedy for a kingdom that doesn't even belong to you. Greedy for a throne that doesn't belong to you. You've killed Hans! Oh Hans… get out, Elsa. You don't belong in Arendelle. Go back to where you came from and stay far away from me. You don't belong here."

Elsa nodded, blinking back tears. Anna's heart was set on the man in front of her and, it seemed, was frozen to her. "Anna," she said softly as she watched Anna frantically trying to help him. This girl before her was entitled to make her own choices now, Elsa understood at long last. She was a grown woman and married, and Elsa had tried her best but it clearly wasn't enough. "Anna, love heals; true love thaws."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anna snapped.

"It means I'm sorry," Elsa answered. "And that I'll be leaving now, and that I won't be seeing you again. I hope it works out between you and Hans. I really do. Goodbye."

With that Elsa trudged away from her sister, her mind roiling with her anger at Hans. Stupid Hans had come between her and her sister… by the time she reached the trolls' clearing, she was in a terrible mood. "Grand Pabbie!" she snapped, surveying the snowy, rock-strewn clearing. "I'm ready to go home. To my _true_ home. Send me back!"

However, only silence met her request.

Finally, once the snow had grown an inch higher, the boulders slowly uncurled. "Queen Elsa," Grand Pabbie said, approaching the woman. "What brings you here?"

"I"m not Queen Elsa," she snapped, her pale blue eyes flashing. "My treacherous brother-in-law, who has my fool sister twisted around his finger, saw to that." She tossed her hands into the air, further intensifying the swirling winds and snow and sleet. "I'm returning back to where I truly belong. Where I won't be surrounded by liars and traitors. Take me back _."_

"No." Grand Pabbie twisted at his clothes and refused to meet the distraught woman's eyes. "I can't."

"Can't? Or won't?" Elsa glared at the troll while her powers sparked over her skin. "Because if you won't, I'm sure I could… convince you."

"I won't," Grand Pabbie answered with a grimace. "I've sworn not to send you back until you've met someone at the top of the North Mountain."

Elsa swore, various unladylike curses which made the mother trolls covered their little ones' ears. "I'm sick of people messing and meddling with my life!" she shouted as the swirling snow intensified. "It's about my ridiculous powers, isn't it?"

"You must go," the troll repeated, sidestepping her question.

Elsa grimaced. "Fine. I'll meet this mysterious person. And after that, you must send me back to the bathhouse."

Grand Pabbie smiled. "I would be happy to," he said. "Now, the North Mountain is far from here and I'm certain you'll want to get there as quickly as possible; Sven and Kristoff will take you. Kristoff!"

"What?" came the surly response. A tousled head of blonde hair rose from a large snow pile, blinked blearily, and when a reindeer stumbled to his feet as well, shaking off the snow piled on his back, the head cried, "Ack! Sven! Not on my face!"

The head rose, its body accompanying it, and the man who Elsa assumed was Kristoff playfully shoved the reindeer, turned to Elsa, then blanched. "I don't take passengers. It's too dangerous up the North Mountain. She'd be dead weight."

Elsa bristled. "You think I'm helpless?" she retorted, fixing him with an icy glare. "I suggest you learn your place. Don't irritate me, mortal, or I'll show you just what I am capable of."

Kristoff rolled his eyes. "Calm down. I know what you can do, and it's a pain in the ass. Your winter storm _ruined_ by ice-trade. Who needs mountain ice when your entire house is coated with it?" he laughed bitterly as he led her out of the clearing and pulled a large blanket off a sleigh. "Just get in the sleigh. The sooner I get you to the North Mountain, the sooner you can reverse this storm and go home. And then _both_ of us can be happy."

"Fine." Elsa eyed the man before her warily, then settled into the sleigh. "Let's go."

Clambering in as well, Kristoff took the reins and shouted, "Go, Sven!"

The sleigh started, and though Kristoff offered her furs, Elsa declined, stating she wasn't cold. At the statement, the man's eyebrows rose almost into his hairline and he glanced again at her thin summer gown, but he said nothing.

Before long, the two fell into a companionable silence, Kristoff steering while Elsa worked to unleash her rage on Arendelle and shield Kristoff and Sven from the storm.

But her efforts were too obvious; after a few minutes, Sven snorted and Kristoff nodded as though in response to the reindeer. Then he said, "Sven wants to know why the blizzard is swirling around us."

"It's my powers."

"Well, thanks!" Kristoff appeared completely gobsmacked. "I guess you don't dislike us that much, then."

Elsa smirked. "I never said that. I just want to reach the North Mountain quicker."

"Oh." Kristoff frowned, taking up the reins and urging Sven faster. Then, he asked, "Why don't you just end the storm, then? If Sven didn't have to plow through this snow, we'd get there much quicker."

"I can't. I won't. I've got to punish Hans and show him I'm not to be trifled with." She gave a bitter laugh. "In case you're wondering, he's my brother-in-law who murdered my parents and stole the throne. Then he tried to kill me."

"Is that why Tsurara-Onna interested in you?"

"Tsurara-Onna?" Elsa asked, spinning to face him.

"Yeah. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Not really," Elsa admitted. "But thanks. I'm surprised Grand Pabbie didn't tell me this." Kristoff began to respond, but Elsa cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Please, I need some time to think. This changes everything."

Kristoff reluctantly obliged, and Elsa spent the remainder of the sleigh-ride trying frantically to recall anything she'd learned about Tsurara-Onna.

But when they reached base of the mountain, all she knew was that she faced some type of nature spirit, nothing more. So when Kristoff told her he'd stay and wait for her while she climbed the mountain alone — because obviously her powers would be more useful than a reindeer in this case — she gave him.a strained smile as she bid farewell and began crafting and climbing a staircase of ice.

Before long Kristoff was out of sight, and Elsa was surrounded by icy wastes.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0


	20. A Spirit of Winter

**Chapter 20. A Spirit of Winter**

Elsa climbed until she reached the top of the mountain. From her high vantage point, with her kingdom lay spread before her, the devastation her winter storm was wreaking clear to see: hundreds of boats were frozen in the harbours, snow covered the land and few were out and about in this weather. As she was contemplating what was rightfully hers, an unfamiliar voice next to her said, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Elsa started, spinning and striking the person next to her with a blast of ice. But strangely enough, nothing happened; her magic was absorbed with no ill effect. "What are you?" Elsa asked, eyeing the person — no, it must be a spirit — next to her.

"I am one of the Tsurara-Onna," the stranger answered, straightening out her dress of icicles and fixing her clear, colourless eyes on Elsa. "I am a spirit of ice and I am here on behalf of my master, Yuki-Jiji."

"And what does your master want?"

"Yuki-Jiji wishes you to end this unnatural winter," the spirit answered tonelessly.

Elsa scoffed, crossing her arms. "No. I refuse."

"You must. Otherwise, you will die."

"Why?" she laughed derisively. "I am strong. And I _will_ punish my thieving brother-in-law."

"It is more than that, human." The spirit's eyes flashed as she regarded Elsa. "You are powerful, too powerful to wander unchecked. You must show control. Then, we talk. Otherwise? I kill you."

"I'd like to see you try," Elsa snarled, glaring at the spirit with a defiant gleam in her eyes.

"You must end this storm!" the spirit cried. "You don't understand—"

"No," Elsa interrupted. "I do understand." She spun and, angrily blinking tears from her eyes, spat, "I thought you spirits would take my side. I thought you wouldn't care about the humans and their problems. I thought you would understand revenge and why I need to do this." She fled from the spirit, flying over the green grass; wherever she stepped, a silver sheen coated the ground.

"Elsa!"

"No." Elsa turned away, her chest heaving. "You're just like my parents. Just like the humans. I thought the trolls sent me to you because you were different, because you were special. But it's not so." Eyes wild, the exiled princess of Arendelle fled, casting a solitary shadow on the slope of the mountain, a shadow which stretched into oblivion, following the girl as she fled.

"Wait!" Tsurara-Onna called after her. "Wait! The mountain is dangerous at this time of night. You can't go out there alone!"

Elsa spun around, laughing defiantly. "You know I have powers! I'm an _Elemental_."

The spirit sighed. "As am I, Elsa. And I know the danger this mountain holds, even for those like us."

Elsa froze. "What?" she said quietly. "You're an Elemental? Like me?"

"More or less. My master, Yuki-Jiji, ruler of the ice and snow, gave me my powers," the spirit woman replied. She gestured and a shimmering door appeared on the mountain. "Come. Tell your story. Then you shall be told what Yuki-Jiji wants. But end the storm first."

"Fine," replied Elsa with a scowl. With a wave of her hand the storm ceased, though the emotional turmoil within her raged on, more powerful than ever.

"Very impressive. Now enter." The spirit woman pulled open the door and stepped through, disappearing in a flash of golden light. After a suspicious glance, Elsa followed. Colors flashed disorientingly around her and, when she tumbled out the other side, Elsa found herself atop another mountain, within a monstrous cave swarming with spirits.

"Tsurara-Onna, where am I?" asked she.

"You are in the abode of Yuki-Jiji and my brethren," replied the spirit woman. "Now follow me and ignore the other spirits. We mustn't keep my master waiting."

Elsa obeyed, following Tsurara-Onna as she wove through the crowded passages which wound through the mountain, eventually coming to a stop outside a small, arched doorway. "Master, the human has arrived," Tsurara-Onna called. Silence met her words and, seemingly pleased, the spirit woman gave Elsa a slight smile and gestured for her to enter.

Ignoring her trepidation, Elsa did so.

An old man, stooped and silent, sat alone at a table set for two. After a moment's consideration, Elsa joined him at the table. "I am here as you requested, Yuki-JIji."

Yuki-Jiji's eyes flickered to her, then he began to slowly pour tea. When two steaming cups finally sat between them, he croaked, "Drink."

Elsa took the cup, but, wary, she only held it in her hands.

"Drink, child. It is safe." Yuki-Jiji's wrinkled face crinkled into a smile as his shaking hand lifted his own cup to his lips.

Not reassured, Elsa nonetheless brought her cup to her lips, only to place it back on the table when the spirit said, "Tell me your story. And drink the tea."

Elsa sighed, then took a sip of her tea, her hands trembling as she replied, "It all began when I had just turned eight and my sister, Anna, was five. I blasted her in the heart with my Elemental powers and her condition was critical." She gave a self-conscious laugh. "It was the worst birthday gift ever. Anyways, Mother, Father and I took Anna away to get help, but…"

Elsa must have talked for hours, but Yuki-Jiji did not try to interrupt, nor did he show signs of boredom. Instead, he sat there silently, weighing her story.

"And now I'm here," Elsa finally finished. "Alone and betrayed by my brother-in-law, not belonging to either world."

The spirit leaned back in his chair. "Impressive. I have but one question: Yubaba did not give you your powers?"

"The witch did not. They manifested when I was three, before I'd ever been to the spirit world. I was born with these accursed powers."

"Do not say that," Yuki-Jiji gently reprimanded her. "Many spirits would kill for such abilities."

"When all it's brought me is pain and heartache? When everyday I must conceal my emotions and remain unfeeling so I don't lose control? How? How could anyone be jealous?" Elsa cried. "Everyday, ' _Conceal, don't feel'._ "

"Oh, child," Yuki-Jiji sighed, knitting his bushy eyebrows together. " Yubaba was mistaken. It is not ' _Conceal, don't feel'_. We are the true masters of ice and snow. For us, ' _feel, don't conceal'_ , must be our guide."

Elsa frowned. "How is that possible?"

"Love heals, and true love thaws—"

"Yes, I know that," Elsa interrupted. "Zeniba told me that."

"—so through love," Yuki-Jiji continued, as if Elsa hadn't said anything, "we negate our powers. We control our powers through overwhelming love."

Elsa blinked. "That makes sense," she said, surprised. "And it might just work, if there's enough love."

"I am glad," Yuki-Jiji replied. "For this brings us to your true purpose here. I lived over one thousand years, and I will teach you about your powers if you become my apprentice."

"Your apprentice?" Elsa recoiled.

"Yes. But not like Yubaba." He sighed. "You would learn to use your powers correctly, and in return you would help manage my empire. I lead the spirits of winter: the spirits of ice, of snow, and of sleet. Yet I grow old and need assistance."

"That's all I'd do?" Elsa asked incredulously. "I won't lose my true name? I won't steal for you?"

"No, child. Certainly not. Though you will need to travel to the Human World from time to time."

"Hmm…" Elsa mused. She certainly wouldn't enjoy time spent in the Human World, but it would be good to check up on Arendelle, if not for Anna's sake, then for Anna's children's. Her nieces and nephews. "I don't know," she finally replied. "I think I would like it, though."

"Good." Yuki-Jiji reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin crystal snowflake. "Pluck one of your hairs and string it through here." He pointed to a small hole in the snowflake. "Now put it on. It lets you travel freely between the Human and Spirit Worlds."

Elsa took it and, with unsteady hands, did as he asked. Once the snowflake came to rest on her collarbone, she felt the oddest sensation of foreign magic mingling with her own.

Yuki-Jiji must have noticed her discomfort, for he said, "I must be certain you are naturally an Elemental, and that you are as powerful as you seem." A few more seconds passed, then the unsettling feelings disappeared. Yuki-Jiji smiled. "Yubaba did not meddle with you. But because you spent a lifetime concealing your emotions, your powers are stunted and repressed. It is not healthy. Elsa; I have much to teach you. Become my apprentice."

Elsa wavered. He seemed honest and well-meaning, and the Tsurara-Onna, as cold as she had been, had not spoken ill of him. And to be able to jump between the Spirit and Human Worlds…

Her mind made up, Elsa got up and bowed to him. "Master," she said softly.

Yuki-Jiji smiled a toothless smile "Welcome, apprentice." He poured himself another cup of tea, then added, "You may tell your friends of what happened, Elsa. I expect you here in five days, though "

Elsa nodded. Time to make use of the World-hopping pendant. Screwing her eyes shut, she thought _Take me to Ogino Chihiro!_

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the Human World. More specifically, she found herself in Chihiro's bedroom, standing not five feet from where Chihiro sat at a desk, her back to her, various textbooks spread about her.

"Chihiro!" Elsa ran forward, tugged the human girl from her chair, and embraced her. "You've grown so much! I can't believe it! In fact, you're almost my age now!"

Chihiro pulled away and blinked at the woman before her. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"You don't recognise me? I'm Elsa, former princess of Arendelle. You, however, know me as Ís, Yubaba's former apprentice."

Tears began welling in Chihiro's eyes. "Ís? That's really you?"

Elsa nodded and hugged the girl again.

"I'd begun to give upon the Spirit World," sniffled Chihiro. "I hadn't heard from you or Haku in years and I began to believe it was just my imagination because it hurt so much less that way, because otherwise I would be alone here forever— Oh! Ís, I miss everyone so much, I'm so glad you came." Chihiro let go of Elsa and glanced about. "Is anyone else here?"

"Like Haku?" Elsa asked with a raised eyebrow, smirking when Chihiro blushed. "No, no one else came. It's just me."

"Oh." Chihiro wilted visibly.

"But don't worry!" Elsa hastened to add. "We can go visit them in the Spirit World! Yuki-Jiji gave me a snowflake that lets me move freely between the Mortal and Spirit Worlds. If you grab my hand, you can come too. Do you want to?"

"I do," replied Chihiro, her eyes shining. "But I have to ask my parents. Do you want to meet them?"

Elsa almost refused, but then she noticed the anxiety in Chihiro's eyes and recalled how she regretted ignoring her own parents. "Fine," she relented, hoping it wouldn't take too long. "But just for dinner. After that, we leave."

Chihiro grinned. "Great!" the girl said. "Now, let me show you my room and I'll start packing for the Spirit World and oh, I need to tell my mom to cook something nice for dinner — you're not allergic to anything, are you?"

Elsa shook her head and followed Chihiro up to her room. The hours passed pleasantly as the two caught up and Chihiro instructed her on how to greet her parents; before Elsa knew it, a car door slammed outside and Chihiro's dad's voice reverberated throughout the house. "I'm home and I'm hungry! What's for dinner? Whoa, what's all this?"

"Chihiro has a guest over," the mother replied. Then there was a smack, followed by, "Keep your hands off the food!"

Chihiro grinned at Elsa and signalled for the two of them to go downstairs. Elsa acquiesced, following the girl to the table, where steaming dishes sat.

After they'd taken their seats, Chihiro's parents entered and Elsa drew upon the only thing she'd learned from Chihiro's lessons. "Konnichiwa, Mr. and Mrs. Ogino."

"Yes, konnichiwa to you, too," Chihiro's father replied distractedly, too busy filling his plate.

"Dear!" Chihiro's mother frowned at her husband, then turned to Elsa, "I'm sorry about my husband's behaviour, Elsa-chan. Now, why did you come visit from Europe?"

"Your daughter," Elsa answered. "I have something important to tell her, and it involves you as well." She took a deep breath. "I want to bring Chihiro back to the Spirit World."

"Where?" the mother asked, her brows drawn back in surprise and confusion.

"The Spirit World?" The father leant forward in his seat, fists clenched. "Is that some code? Chihiro, you don't do drugs, do you? And I certainly hope you haven't joined any cults recently, either."

His daughter glared at him. "Of course not!" she said. "I'd never do such a thing. No, the Spirit World is another place. It's like another… dimension. And when we got lost moving here, well, that was because we got stuck there."

"Really?" Her father narrowed his eyes, then challenged, "And why wouldn't I remember that?"

Chihiro flushed and stuttered, "You— you were sort of— indisposed. You and mom both. You two were— well, you two were pigs."

"Pigs?" Mrs. Ogino gasped, aghast, her chopsticks falling to the table with a _plunk_. Elsa struggled to contain her laughter. "We were pigs?"

"What?!" Mr. Ogino thundered, glaring at Chihiro.

"It's true!" Chihiro protested. "I'm serious!"

Mrs. Ogino sank back into her seat, sighing, "No wonder I've stopped buying pork…"

That did it. Elsa couldn't hold her laughter in any longer. She broke down laughing hysterically; at the sound, Chihiro spun. "Ís!" she snapped. "Stop that!"

"I'm sorry," Elsa gasped, laying her chopsticks down. "This just isn't what I expected when you asked me to dinner."

"Well, I need you to focus. I want their permission before I go to the Spirit World, and you're not helping."

Before Elsa was able to reply to Chihiro's acerbic remark, though, Chihiro's father interrupted, "You're only sixteen, Chihiro! You can't leave. And who is this girl anyways?" He pointed at Elsa.

Chihiro smirked. "She's my evidence that magic and spirits do exist."

"She's a spirit?" Mrs. Ogino asked, eyes wide.

"No, I'm not," Elsa answered calmly. "But I have abilities." With a wave of her hand, a snowflake the size of a dinner plate appeared above her head.

Both parents' jaws dropped, and they fell silent. Then the father spoke. "Dear, what did you put in this?" He glanced down at his plate. "Because I think you bought the wrong mushrooms again."

"No, they're perfectly fine, dear," Mrs Ogino replied. "After last time, I've been very careful." She turned to Elsa. "Elsa-chan, what did you do?"

"I used my powers. I control ice and snow." At their incredulous faces, she hastened to add, "I'm a human, though, and powers like mine aren't common in the Spirit World."

The father blinked. "And you want to take our daughter into this craziness?"

Before Elsa could reply, Chihiro protested, "Dad, it's not crazy! It's my home, just as much as Japan is. My friends are there. Please let me see them. Let me be _happy._ "

"I don't know, it sounds really dangerous Chi—"

"Mom, I'm sixteen and I know what I want. I'm old enough to judge the dangers. I mean, when I was ten, I helped overthrow a crazed, evil witch. Remember, Ís?"

Elsa smiled. "Of course. For me, it was less than a month ago."

"Yeah, though it's been longer than that for me…" Chihiro said wistfully. Then she remembered why they were there. "So, mom and dad, what do you say? Can I go?

Mrs Ogino looked at Mr Ogino; Mr Ogino looked at Mrs Ogino. After a staring match, the father sighed. "Fine. But be home by next weekend, and don't do _anything_ that would scandalize your grandmother. Or else. I remember that Haku boy!"

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Chihiro cried, jumping to her feet and almost knocking her chair over as she ran to her parents and embraced them both. Then she raced to her room, grabbed the duffel bag she'd already packed, and then, hand in hand, the two girls ran deep into the forest.

. . . . . . . .

With a blinding flash of light, Elsa and Chihiro materialized in the Spirit World. To be more exact, they appeared in the boiler room. Chihiro stood stock-still, slowly turning and taking everything in, tears welling in her eyes; meanwhile, Elsa smiled. Chihiro was finally home.

"Ís?" Kamaji's querulous voice interrupted the quiet. "Who's the human?"

Chihiro spun. "Kamaji!" she cried, throwing herself at the spider spirit and hugging him. "You haven't changed a bit!"

"... Sen?"

"Call me Chihiro," she murmured. "But yes, I'm back."

Kamaji's wizened face lit up. "Se— Chihiro!" he corrected himself. "It's so good to see you again!"

"You too, Kamaji," Chihiro answered. "I should be visiting more often now that Elsa has that magic snowflake." Then she paused and asked hesitantly, "Is… is Haku here?"

"Kohaku?" Kamaji grinned. "He should be upstairs right now. The guests are just about to arrive."

"Oh." Chihiro's face fell. "I guess I should wait then…"

"No no no!" Kamaji cried, shaking his head, spittle flying everywhere. "You must go see him immediately Sen. He will be very happy to see you."

Sen perked up. "Really?"

"Yes! Yes! Go!" Kamaji made shooing motions. "Why are you still here, girl?"

Chihiro started, then hurried from the room, Elsa following her; when Elsa looked back, Kamaji lifted his glasses and winked at her. Then the door slid shut, and the two girls made their way through the bathhouse.

Walking through the bathhouse again was a strange sensation. Elsa recognized some faces, but many more were new; when the spirits recognized her, they'd stop and stare, then look at Chihiro and stare at her too… whispers about the "two humans" began to follow them as they walked up towards Yubaba's old rooms, Haku's now, but no one made to stop them.

When they finally reached the top floor, Elsa reached for the knocker, pleased to note Haku had replaced Yubaba's talkative one. She lifted it to knock, but then Haku's voice rang in the air: "Come in, Elsa."

Elsa raised an eyebrow at Chihiro, surprised he hadn't mentioned her, but with a shrug she tried the door and found it unlocked. She opened it, then led Chihiro to the main room where Haku would no doubt be, sitting at Yubaba's desk and figuring sums. When they entered, Haku looked up from his work, pen in hand, only for his jaw to drop and the pen to fall unnoticed to the floor. "Chihiro?" he breathed.

"Haku!" Chihiro shouted, running towards him, tears in her eyes.

"Chihiro!" Haku sprang to his feet and leapt over the table, meeting the girl halfway and pulling her tight into his embrace. "Chihiro…"

Elsa watched, a smile on her face. Then, knowing they had a lot of catching up (and possibly kissing) to do, she left and made her way to the servant's quarters, where she knew she'd find Lin.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Elsa strode purposely through the bathhouse, now entirely focused on one thing: seeing Lin again. Although it had only been a week, it felt as if years had passed; after all, when she'd recovered from her coma, she'd left immediately for Arendelle. A mistake if there had ever been one. Arendelle wasn't where she belonged. She would visit, but nothing more. The Spirit World was where she belonged.

Throwing the door open, Elsa all but ran into the room, searching for Lin's figure. The other spirit women glanced at her, surprised, but Elsa ignored them. She made a beeline for Lin, who stood with her back to the door, dressing.

"Lin!" Elsa called.

Lin spun. "Ís?" Her eyes went wide. "You're back! We'll have to throw a party— How was the Human World?"

"Terrible," Elsa laughed. Then she noticed the other spirit women watching their conversation. "Excuse me, would you leave?" she asked. Some rolled their eyes at her request, but after Lin glared at them, they did as she asked, leaving her and Lin alone in the room.

Lin drew closer, then regarded her with a sly glint in her eyes. "Are you here to stay then?" she asked. "Because I'm sure Haku could find a job for you…"

"No," Elsa answered. "I'm already apprenticed to Yuki-Jiji."

"Yuki-Jiji? The Spirit of Winter?"

"Yes." Elsa drew the snowflake out from underneath her shirt. "He told me he'd teach me how to really control my powers, and gave me this. It lets me move freely between the Human and Spirit Worlds."

"But why would you want that?" Lin groaned. "Great, now you're apprenticed to someone else…"

Elsa chuckled. "Lin, this pendant means that I can bring Chihiro to visit as often as I want, and it means that I can visit my nieces and nephews. Oh, quite a lot happened to me while I was gone— it's too bad that your job starts in two minutes, so I can't tell you."

Lin smirked. "Oh, Haku can come yell at me if he wants. I don't care. Tell me what happened, Ís. Or else."

"Fine," Elsa sighed. "When I arrived in Arendelle, I discovered that time moves faster in the Human World, so my younger sister was twenty-one and she was about to get married to a prince. I was happy for her, but at the time I didn't know that he was a scoundrel…"

When she finished, the moon was already high in the sky and Elsa's throat was parched from all her talking.

"Wow," Lin said. "Was it even worth it to go back?"

"I think so," Elsa answered, throwing open the balcony doors and stepping out to lean on the railing. "I mean, Lin, I spent years wondering what Arendelle was like. I've spent a lifetime discovering who I am." She paused, looking off into the distance. "But after Arendelle, after apprenticing myself to Yuki-Jiji, I think I've finally found myself. I am Elsa, I am Ís. I am a human girl, I am a spirit of winter. And above all, I am myself. Which is all I can ever hope to be."

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 _And that's it. That's everything. Elsa has found who she's meant to be, and one day she'll step into Yuki-Jiji's shoes, but that's a story for another day. Right now, I just want to acknowledge people who were crucial to writing this fic._

 _First of all, I want to thank the_ _ **amazing madamasharpless24601**_ _, who stood with me through thick and through thin in writing this story. Without her, this never would have existed, and I would be a very different person… thank you, madam! You really are the best! I don't know who I would be without you, and I don't want to find that out. You mean so much to me. In fact, so much, that I want to dedicate this story to you. It'll be in the summary XD_

 _Second, to_ _ **the**_ _guest reviewer. Sometimes I got a little irritated, but your reviews (especially in the beginning) were infectious with their enthusiasm, and it really helped me keep writing when I hit writer's block. So thank you for reminding me that someone was reading!_

 _Finally, to anyone else reading this right now. Yes, even if you don't find this story until decades after it was published, I am thanking you. Because without readers reading what aspiring writers are reading, those writers would never grow to reach their full potential. So you (yes, you) who are staring at the screen right now, reading this fanfic, thank you for keeping the community alive._

 _And that's all. I love you guys and I hope you can forgive me for this massive A/N_ — _this fic has been my baby, and it's finally grown up. I'm agonna cry._

 _All my love,_

 _maripaz6_


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